but if you're talking about breaking records then this is if this player did it in this amount of time then you should do it in that same amount of time in the world of basketball rivalries ignite with a single spark Cheryl swoops the legendary three-time MVP has never been one to shy away from speaking her mind and when it comes to Caitlyn Clark the rising star who's been Making Waves swoops isn't holding back but that's not all Su bird the iconic WNBA point guard finally breaks her silence revealing what she truly thinks about the ongoing Clash this is more than just a battle of words it's a collision of eras and Legacies what was said will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about these players before looking at how Sue defend Clark let's have a little recap of what Cheryl said regarding our very own rookie the record books as Caitlyn Clark is the alltime whatever it is I don't even know what the number is but that's the way it'll be and and I don't think it should be one of swoops theia's primary assertions was that Caitlyn Clark had played 5 years in college giving her an unfair advantage over past record holders however this claim is inaccurate Clark has only played four years of college basketball the same as Kelsey Plum the previous record holder whom swoops referenced moreover Clark broke the record in fewer games which actually highlights her exceptional talent and efficiency on the court rather than diminishing her achievements swoops also claimed that Clark takes an excessive number of shots per game specifically stating that she averages around 4 40 shots per game this statement is grossly misleading in reality Caitlyn Clark averages about 19 shots per game throughout her college career Which is less than half of what swoops suggested this exaggeration not only distorts the perception of Clark's playing style but also unjustly portrays her as a ball hogging player Which is far from the truth let's also talk about um how much more experience that gives you over other players coming in right so people say dang like he or she's killing him but you have a 25-year-old playing against a 20-year-old mhm like you you should be killing them yeah cuz you've been doing it a lot longer than they have furthermore swoops incorrectly stated that Caitlyn Clark is 25 years old implying that her age gave her an unfair experience advantage over younger players in fact Clark is only 22 years old which is typical for a college senior this erroneous claim again seemed to be an attempt to discredit Clark's achievement by suggesting that she was significantly older and more experienced than her peers which is simply not the case so for people to comment me and say that I made those comments because I'm a racist like first of all black people can't be racist but like that's the farthest thing from my mind like I grew up in a very small west Texas town predominantly white my best childhood friend is white so it's important for me that I speak up for people that look like me after being called out for these inaccuracies Cheryl swoops responded defensively claiming that her comments were not racially motivated and expressing frustration at being labeled as racist she emphasized that her statements were made to support athletes who share her background and experiences Swoopes referenced her own upbringing in a predominantly white town and her lifelong advocacy for black athletes however this response did little to address the factual inaccuracies in her criticism of Caitlyn Clark and instead shifted the focus to the racial Dynamics surrounding the discussion now let's see what Sue has to say everybody's clearly got their defensive game plan built around her which is a compliment um but you got to figure it out from there well I mean when you first arrived on the scene up in Seattle what would what were you facing coming out of Yukon having lost to only four games in college Sue yeah um well yeah getting used to losing I remember the first we lost first the expectations placed on Caitlyn Clark are immense as a highly touted draft pick there is a significant amount of pressure on her to perform at a high level immediately this pressure is Amplified by the fact that she has been drafted to a team that has not performed well in recent Seasons the weight of turning the team's fortunes around seems to have fallen squarely on her shoulders this level of expectation is rare especially for a rookie and it brings both positive and negative consequences on one hand being the focus of of every opponent's defensive strategy is a sign of respect teams recognize Clark's talent and are determined to limit her impact on the game on the other hand this intense scrutiny can make it difficult for a player to Showcase their abilities especially when they are still adjusting to a new level of play Clark has faced some of the top defensive teams in the league right out of the gate which has further complicated her transition I remember the first game we lost first game of the season we actually played the New York Liberty and they had Teresa weather spoon and Becky H and at the time we lost to them and uh you know I'm in the locker room having a little bit of a fit right a little bit of a tantrum I'm not used to this and everybody's like oh where you guys want to go to dinner tonight and it took me a second to understand that that was also part of pro sports the WNBA is a highly competitive league and the transition from college to professional basketball is significant while Caitlyn Clark was a standout player in college the WNBA presents a whole new set of challenges the players are faster stronger and more experienced and the game itself is played at a higher intensity for a rookie even one as talented as Clark this adjustment can be overwhelming there is also the matter of the physicality of the game the WNBA is known for its tough physical style of play something that many college players have to adapt to Clark is no different in this regard while she has shown flashes of Brilliance there have also been moments where she has looked out of sorts struggling to cope with the physical demands of the professional game this is not unusual for aook rookie and it is something that she will likely improve on as she gains more experience she looked pissed Sue she looked livid you know like she she was like just barely slapping the hands of her coach and teammates she looked really angry last night I mean yeah definitely uh let's not forget that she probably has arguably the most pressure that any you know woman's basketball player has ever had coming into the WNBA I mean sometimes it feels like the weight of the WNBA is on her shoulders of the more contentious issues surrounding Caitlyn Clark's entry into the WNBA has been the perception that her arrival somehow diminishes the achievements of existing players there has been a narrative that Clark was being prematurely anointed as the new face of the league a notion that some believe disrespects the veterans who have built the WNBA into what it is today this perception is not entirely unfounded the media hype surrounding Clark has been enormous and it is easy to see how this could be seen as overshadowing the accomplishments of current players sometimes it feels like the weight of the WNBA is on her shoulders um that is both like I said earlier a compliment and warranted in a lot of ways uh but also maybe a little bit unfair to put so much on her and then to not play up to up to her abilities in this early part would would be frustrating you know however it is important to note that this is not a reflection of Clark's attitude or behavior by all accounts she has shown nothing but respect for the league and its players she understands the Legacy she is stepping into and has expressed her her admiration for the women who paved the way before her the issue therefore seems to be more about the way the narrative has been framed rather than any disrespect on Clark's part I thought that was really unfortunate because that's not the reality nobody was questioning Caitlyn's ability nobody was questioning Caitlyn's popularity what she's done for the sport How Could you um I think at the end of the day it's just competitive athletes talking about what they've already been through um so that was kind of the unfortunate part of it um I don't think that you know saying a college player is going to have to adjust to a professional league is that crazy the media's portrayal of Caitlyn Clark's entry into the WNBA has been a double-edged sword on one hand it has brought a significant amount of attention to the league drawing in new fans and increasing viewership on the other hand the intense focus on Clark has sometimes overshadowed the reality of her situation as a rookie she is still learning and growing and it is unrealistic to expect her to dominate immediately The Narrative that she is the savior of the WNBA puts undue pressure on her and creates unrealistic expectations for her performance this has led to some friction between fans the media and the players themselves there has been a sense that Clark is being unfairly compared to established stars and this has created tension within the league however it is worth noting that this is not entirely a negative thing healthy competition and debate are good for sports and the attention that Clark has brought to the WNBA can only be seen as a positive in the long run what do you think make sure to share your thoughts in the comments and if you want to stay updated on this unfolding drama hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications