Caitlin Clark is used to intense scrutiny around her.
The WNBA star has been on the end of both acclaim and criticism after a stellar 2024 rookie season and two-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson believes he knows what fuels it.
When you’re an NBA legend and you’ve raised sons like Dallas Mavericks four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson and Boston Red Sox outfielder Trayce Thompson, you might know a thing or two about criticism.
Thompson, a decorated former Los Angeles Lakers star, has coined an acronym to describe the perceived hostility around Clark.
He refers to it as “JEEP,” representing Jealousy, Envy, Egos, and Pettiness, stating this is why why Clark’s WNBA rivals dislike her.
“They don’t like Caitlin Clark…. I’ve been tracking her career since she was a sophomore at Iowa, and I noticed how unique she was,” Thompson told OutKick.
“How differently she played the game. She played the game like Steph Curry.”
“Now that she’s in the WNBA, I’ll tell you, she needs a Jeep endorsement, a commercial.
“Because JEEP is an acronym that I’ve devised to describe the way she has been treated and not welcomed into the WNBA. JEEP, the acronym stands for: Jealousy, Envy, Egos, and Pettiness.”
Thompson might be referring to the early criticism Clark revived when she was about to enter the WNBA last year.
Basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes, on an appearance on ‘Gil’s Arena’ in April 2024, suggested Clark would struggle in the WNBA.
“Will Caitlin Clark be a good pro? Absolutely. Will Caitlin Clark come into the WNBA and do what she’s doing right now immediately? Absolutely not. Not going to happen,” she said.
In the end, any criticism of Clark would quickly look foolish as she not only broke WNBA records, but the 23-year-old also had an unprecedented impact on the Indiana Fever and the league.
Clark led the WNBA in assists last season and was also an All-Star, garnering All-WNBA First Team and All-Rookie Team honors in her debut year.
The 23-year-old averaged 19.2 points on 41.7 percent shooting with 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
She became the first rookie since Candace Parker in 2008 to make the All-WNBA First Team.
Although Clark’s biggest impact was arguably off the court as her rivalry with Angel Reese, helped raise the profile of both teams and the WNBA, which has secured a $2billion 10-year broadcast deal from 2026.
The 22-year-old’s Fever team saw their attendance rise by 320 per cent to a league-leading average of 17,000 per game.
31 WNBA matches last season averaged over one million viewers and 22 of them involved Clark, with almost every fixture she played in broadcast on national television.
Unprecedented success also paved the way for Fever’s new $78million training center in downtown Indianapolis.
The facility will open in two years and features two full-size courts, strength and conditioning facilities, along with podcast and content production studios.
No wonder Thompson defended Clark.
