Shaquille O'Neal Claims Caitlin Clark 'Ain't That Great Yet'

Anthony Pasciolla | Sep 11, 2024

Aug 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

WNBA star Caitlin Clark was the frontrunner for WNBA Rookie of the Year, but locked up the award after her biggest competitor, Angel Reese, was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Not all are so impressed with Clark's rookie campaign, including NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.

“I understand what everybody’s doing. Yeah you’re great, but you ain’t that great yet. Calm down," O'Neal said. "We still got Diana Taurasi, we still got A’ja Wilson, if you’re gonna give (Caitlin) props make sure our girls that are dominating in this league get the same props. Loudmouths like Chuck are talking about hating — it’s not hating. It’s like, you’re good but let’s slow it down a notch."

It's worth noting O'Neal is a former LSU Tiger, the same school Reese attended. It's hard to say for certain that bias comes into play with O'Neal's not so positive opition, but it's a definite possibility.

"As good as Caitlin Clark is, we’ve had a lot of young ladies who have been doing good (before) and not getting props," O'Neal said. "People like props and they want to feel good when you’re talking about (their league) … it’s not hating. Everybody has to wait their turn.”

Clark is shining over her last dozen games, meaning Reese's health is not significant to the outcome of the ROTY race.

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Anthony Pasciolla is a contributing writer for Back In The Day Hoops. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @AnthonyPasci. 

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