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Shannon Sharpe Believes WNBA's Flagrant Fouls on Caitlin Clark Aren't a Coincidence

Shannon Sharpe isn't buying that Caitlin Clark's flagrant foul problem is coincidental.

Grant Young

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos former tight end Shannon Sharpe in attendance against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos former tight end Shannon Sharpe in attendance against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

NFL legend Shannon Sharpe has been an outspoken advocate for Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark throughout her 2024 WNBA season.

A few weeks ago, Sharpe sent a strong message to other WNBA players, "that corn-fed Iowa girl busting y'all a**," and clamored for them to, "LET HER COOK!"

One of the ways WNBA players have appeared to keep Clark from cooking is through flagrant fouls. She has been on the receiving end of five flagrant fouls this season (four from the Chicago Sky specifically), which constitutes 17% of all the flagrant fouls in the entire WNBA this year.

While WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo doesn't think there's anything suspicious about this, Sharpe surely does.

In a September 1 episode of Sharpe's "Nightcap" podcast with Chad Ochocinco, he said, "I'm just trying to figure out how 17% of the flagrant fouls [in the WNBA are against Clark].

"Ocho, if unnecessary roughness [in the NFL] happened to one player 17% of the time, that's not an anomaly. That's not an outlier," Sharpe added.

"That ain't a coincidence, huh Unc?" Ochocinco responded.

"Too many things that are coincidences is not a coincidence," Sharpe said. "Ocho... if you get five speeding tickets in a year, [the police] ain't picking on you. You just drive fast. That's what that is."

Sharpe is right to assert that it's suspicious so many flagrant fouls have occurred to Clark; especially that 80% of them have been from the Chicago Sky.

Regardless, Clark and her Fever squad's current form makes it clear that they aren't scared of anybody. And if their offense keeps cooking the way it has been in recent weeks, other WNBA teams will be afraid to face them in the playoffs.

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Grant Young

GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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