LeBron James is coming to Caitlin Clark’s defense.
The Lakers superstar and future Hall of Famer supported the Hawkeyes star on X while watching the South Carolina-Iowa national championship game — which Clark was at the center of — after Clark was the subject to some criticism leading up to the season’s final game.
“If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!!” James wrote in a post on X. “Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE.”
Clark and Iowa subsequently lost to South Carolina, 87-75, marking the latter’s third national championship since 2017.
But the post from James, whose Lakers play the Timberwolves on Sunday, followed comments made by, among others, soon-to-be WNBA peers Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart.
Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the national championship game. AP Explore More
Taurasi, a WNBA legend and 10-time All-Star who is entering her 20th season in 2024, said she thinks Clark will struggle in her early WNBA days — which are set to begin following April 15’s draft — after the Indiana Fever likely select her No. 1 overall.
“Reality is coming, there’s levels to this thing,” Taurasi said during an appearance on SportsCenter, when asked about Clark and South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso entering the draft.
Both are expected to be top picks.
“And that’s just life, we all went through it,” Taurasi continued. “You look superhuman playing against some 18 years olds but you’re going to come [play] with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time. Not saying it’s not gonna translate, because when you’re great at what you do, you’re just gonna get better. But there is gonna be a transition period, where you’re gonna have to give yourself some grace as a rookie.”
Stewart also said that Clark needed a title in college to be considered an all-time great.
“Yeah, she does (need a championship), I think so,” Stewart said during an appearance on SiriusXM College Sports Radio. “Because then you’re gonna look 10 years back and you’re gonna see all the records she’s broken and the points and stuff like that, but anybody knows, your goal when you play college basketball is to win a national championship, so you need one.”
Additionally, Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard also claimed that Clark, in fact, did not break her scoring record.
LeBron James came to Caitlin Clark’s defense on Sunday. AP “I am the hidden figure, but no longer now,” Woodard said. “My record was hidden from everyone for 43 years. I don’t think… I’ll just go ahead and get the elephant out of the room: I don’t think my record has been broken because you can’t duplicate what you’re not duplicating. So unless you come with a men’s basketball and a 2-point shot.”
Clark led the Hawkeyes with 30 points during their loss to South Carolina on Sunday, hitting 10-of-28 shots and five 3-pointers.
