Rebecca Lobo Pushes Back on 'False' Narrative of WNBA Resentment Toward Caitlin Clark

Patrick Andres | Jul 17, 2024

Mar 31, 2022; Minneapolis, MN, USA; ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo poses during NCAA Womens Final Four press conference at Target Center. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In her first WNBA season, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been under a searing spotlight. Every interaction she has with teammates and opponents has been searched for hints of resentment—by Clark toward her contemporaries, and by the league's veterans toward a celebrity who has brought unprecedented viewership to the league.

However, the idea of a league-wide case of tall poppy syndrome has always had more basis in perception than in reality—as Hall of Fame center and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo pointed out Wednesday in a press call before Saturday's WNBA All-Star Game.

"I don't think it's an actual, real narrative," Lobo said. "I mean, it's a narrative, but it's a false one."

Lobo pointed to positive interactions between Clark and the league's veterans in several settings, contrasting them with public perception of Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter's hard foul on Clark during a June 1 game.

"What everybody saw was the one foul from Chennedy Carter in that first matchup between Chicago and Indiana," Lobo said. "I don't think the veterans have been anything other than trying to stop Caitlin and trying to slow her down as competitors."