The Basketball Hall of Fame seems to have subtly mocked WNBA icon Sheryl Swoopes with the strategic placement of a Caitlin Clark display. This follows Swoopes’ previous critiques of the Indiana Fever’s standout player, which began even before Clark’s remarkable rookie season. Rather than engage in verbal exchanges, the Iowa native let her performance on the court speak for itself, averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, with an efficient 41.7% shooting rate.
Clark’s path to the Rookie of the Year award became nearly uncontested after Angel Reese’s injury, receiving all but one vote. Swoopes, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 and has her own banner in the Massachusetts museum, now finds Clark’s image conspicuously positioned beneath her tribute—an apparent jab at Swoopes. This move follows a history of skeptical remarks from Swoopes, dating back to Clark’s college tenure when Swoopes argued that Clark’s NCAA scoring achievements lacked authenticity, suggesting she was a “25-year-old in her fifth year”—a clear exaggeration, as Clark was actually 22 and in her fourth year at Iowa.
Even after Clark’s transition to the WNBA and the surge of fan interest she generated, Swoopes remained critical, attributing the rookie’s collegiate success to taking an excessive number of shots each game. While Clark led the Indiana Fever’s strong post-Olympics performance, Swoopes refrained from acknowledging her contributions, instead highlighting teammates Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston. Her dismissal of Clark’s dominance during her inaugural season seemingly provoked someone at the Hall of Fame to address Swoopes’ criticism through the placement of Clark’s poster under her banner.
Yet, a shift in Swoopes’ stance might be underway. Despite the Fever’s exit in the first playoff round, Swoopes recently offered some praise for Clark on the Queens of the Court podcast. “I just thought what Caitlin was able to do coming into the league this season… she was just crazy,” Swoopes acknowledged, admiring Clark’s precision in shooting and her ability to make timely plays.
