Caitlin Clark Had Such a Classy Answer About Fans That Might Not Like Her

Patrick Andres | Apr 7, 2024

Apr 6, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark reacts during practice. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It's not a stretch to say that Iowa guard Caitlin Clark may be the most popular college athlete of the 21st century, given the economy surrounding her and her contribution to record women's basketball television audiences.

However, Clark is hardly universally adored. Iowa has plenty of rivals—regional and national—while some find Clark's style of play or on-court personality unappealing.

Addressing her critics Saturday afternoon, Clark drew on the age-old truism that you can't please everyone.

"When you're in the spotlight like this there's gonna be a million different opinions on you. And for as many people that are going to love you, there's going to be people that don't like you. That's the case with every professional athlete, men or women, playing at the highest stage," Clark said.

Caitlin Clark: "When you're in the spotlight like this there's gonna be a million different opinions on you. And for as many people that are going to love you, there's going to be people that don't like you. That's the case with every professional athlete, men or women, playing… pic.twitter.com/5SBancFMtM

— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) April 6, 2024

On Friday, Clark scored 21 points, pulled down nine rebounds and handed out seven assists as the Hawkeyes topped Connecticut 71-69 to advance to the national championship against South Carolina.

"I think what I've been able to do over the course of my career is just focus on the opinions of the people inside our locker room. That's what I really care about," Clark said. "The people that I love to death. The people that have had my back every single second of my career."