Dawn Staley shows true colors with Caitlin Clark comments and ‘dangerous’ observation
Dawn Staley was asked about how she truly feels about Caitlin Clark after previously addressing the idea that she’s a ‘hater’ while speaking on her game and what’s made her so successful
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley has heaped praised on Caitlin Clark while discussing what makes her so ‘dangerous’ as a player, amid claims of her being a ‘hater’.
Clark came into the WNBA as a generational talent and the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft before immediately transitioning from college to the pro’s. Throughout her rookie year though, many debated whether she or Angel Reese, her on-court rival, had been the better player – forcing many pundits and commentators to take sides.
For many, Staley had been on the side of Reese, having named her the Rookie of the Year over Clark – when the stats had heavily suggested that the latter be more deserving, before Clark ultimately won the award
Speaking on Kylie Kelce’s podcast on Clark, the South Carolina head coach reiterated her admiration for her game while crediting her for bringing new fans to the sport.
On the podcast, she said: “She’s quite incredible, quite an anomaly when it comes to how many eyeballs she’s bringing on the game.
“And the newness of those eyeballs — they only want her to do well. Only want you to speak very highly of her. Only, you know, want you to agree with what they agree with. And that’s kind of hard.”
The legendary college basketball head coach somewhat addressed her alleged dislike for Clark, stating: “…We’re critics to everyone that plays the game. We’re critics. It is part of the fabric of sports. It’s part of athletics. It’s the competition. That’s what we do.”
She added: “For me, the most dangerous thing of Caitlin Clark is her passing ability. Her ability to make other people better, and her ability to have other people’s production along with her production. That’s how you win.”
In 2024, Staley had directly addressed chatter that she did not like Clark, when she said: “I like conversations because they need to be had, they really need to be had, because it’s not hate. It’s like, people think I hate on Caitlin.
“Caitlin is probably going to win the Dawn Staley Award for the third year in a row not because I’m favoring her, it’s because she can flat out play. Quite simple, quite simple.”
Clark had won the aforementioned award for three years in a row while at Iowa, before moving on to the WNBA, where she was the first overall pick in the 2024 draft class.
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