“It’s not just Caitlin Clark… We have so much talent out there.” Mystics Co-Owner Sheila Johnson ignited a storm after the Indiana Fever guard’s TIME honor. So how could Sheryl Swoopes stay out? When the infamous Clark critic was asked about it, her vanilla response didn’t sit well with many, including Rachel DeMita.

Discussing how the discourse around the WNBA has turned to everything else BUT basketball, the YouTuber shed light on the 4x Champ’s take. “It’s like…the Sheryl Swoopes of it all when she was ‘hating’ on Caitlin Clark. Sheryl Swoopes – even when she was asked about the TIME magazine thing, her stance stayed the same.”

On No Chill with Gilbert Arenas, Swoopes was asked about Clark’s achievement, to which she said, “I don’t think I’m surprised. I’m curious to know who the other candidates were, but the fact that that’s the very first WNBA player to ever win TIME Magazine Athlete of the Year is pretty special.” Not ready to acknowledge the Iowa sensation herself, Swoopes talked about how this would impact the league overall.

“My question is, the criteria, is it based off of her performance on the court, which she had a great year or is it more about the impact that she had on the game this season?” If that were the criteria, she later suggested on the podcast that A’ja Wilson could have also been on the list of nominees.

Of course, this was enough to anger some fans. Was there someone more worthy in terms of sports achievements or their singular impact on their sport? Maybe. But as DeMita points out, “Sheryl Swoopes is more relevant than she has been in 20 years. Unfortunately, her relevancy and her popularity is mostly because of her take on Caitlin Clark now, not on her play on the court because she was a fantastic basketball player.”

Swoopes’ prowess in the W, mainly with the Houston Comets and then Seattle Storm, is not a secret. The 53-year-old is a 4x champ, 3x MVP, and a 6x All-Star among numerous other accolades. However, over a decade after her retirement, many feel that her commentary on Clark is the only thing that keeps her in the headlines. “At what point are us as the media and the podcasters and YouTubers are gonna stop giving these people with terrible takes and honestly hateful takes – when are we gonna stop giving them light?” DeMita asks on the podcast.

Swoopes is, of course, known for her less-than-polite attitude toward Clark at times, even though she claims to have apologized for her comments. The TIME interview seemed like an effort from the Fever player’s side as an attempt to calm things down but it did not sit well with everyone.

Clark credited the players that came before her, saying, “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege. A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them.” Nevertheless, some still take her side over Swoopes, like Stephen A. Smith.

Stephen A. Smith blasts Sheryl Swoopes in favor of Caitlin Clark

Sheila Johnson probably echoes the same sentiment as some critics when she said everyone deserved recognition, not just Caitlin Clark. Swoopes has reiterated much the same since CC rose to popularity. But Smith had just this to say – look at the impact she has had on the W as she keeps breaking records on the court.

“You see why I have no problem with her being Time’s Athlete of the Year? You see why I said she should’ve been on Team USA? You see why I had to go off on the likes of Sheryl Swoopes — and others — who were clearly distant and dismissive of her, no matter how much they tried to deny it.”

From getting charter flights to increasing attendance not just in Indiana but league-wide, it’s just some of the things Clark has affected. The WNBA is still losing money, as Smith points out, but at least now they’re on an upward trajectory. If anything, Smith says, “Be resentful against the system.” Not the individual.