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Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy recently spotlighted a controversial comment from legendary Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, resurfacing a critique about Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s fit in the WNBA.
Clark’s impressive 32-point, 9-assist, 8-rebound performance in her return from a quad strain ignited a tidal wave of support-and gave Portnoy an opening to spotlight Auriemma’s words from a June 6 appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
In that discussion, Auriemma cautioned that anticipation around Clark might be inflated. “The delusional fan base that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying she’s going to go in that league and tear it apart,” he said.
He added that veterans like Diana Taurasi warned Clark was unprepared for the pro-level physicality: “This kid’s in for a rude awakening… she’s got the wrong skill set to handle the physicality of that league.”
Clark‘s return to the court served as a powerful rebuke. While sidelined for three weeks, fans speculated-and Auriemma’s words resurfaced-as Clark demolished expectations with her performance against the New York Liberty.
Portnoy seized this moment, overlaying highlights with the audio of Auriemma‘s remark, reigniting his ire: “Did Geno Auriemma have the worst take in the history of sports?”
Public response: fans rally behind Clark
Portnoy‘s clip drew over 650,000 views and nearly 9,000 likes within hours, with fans blasting Auriemma’s comment and defending Clark. One prominent theory emerged: Auriemma’s skepticism may stem from regret that Clark didn’t play at UConn.
She had reportedly considered Storrs but ultimately stayed home at Iowa, where she became a two-time Player of the Year and broke the all-time scoring record.
Others defended Auriemma‘s professionalism, noting that he’s made similar critiques of other stars, including Paige Bueckers, whom he felt struggled domestically early in her career. It’s true Clark faced challenges in her rookie season adjusting to contact and screens, but her strong overall numbers (19.2 points, 8.4 assists, nearly 6 rebounds per game) pointed to her adaptability.
Clark‘s impact on the WNBA has been transformative, despite the naysayers. Ratings, merchandise, ticket sales, and even charter flight access for players have surged since her arrival.
And despite Portnoy’s polarizing style, his tweet succeeded in reawakening attention to Auriemma’s critique-and sparked renewed conversation about whether it was unfair. With Clark‘s star power only growing, the debate around her development, skill set, and critics won’t cool anytime soon.
As Clark continues to impress on and off the court, one thing is clear: “delusional fan bases” aside, her trajectory speaks volumes. Whether Auriemma’s take was a justified caution or a case of sour grapes, Clark‘s response has been her on-court excellence-loud, unfiltered, and undeniable.
This news was originally published on this post .
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