Sheryl Swoopes, a four-time WNBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, found herself in hot water after making some comments about Caitlin Clark. Swoopes appeared on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast last October with former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. They discussed the possibility of Clark breaking Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring record during the 2023-24 season.
During the podcast, Swoopes suggested that Clark had an advantage because she used an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, implying she played more games to break the record. However, it turned out that this claim was incorrect. Swoopes also got Clark’s age wrong, saying she was 25 and competing against younger players. She even claimed that Clark took about 40 shots per game.
But Clark proved her wrong by breaking Plum’s record with a memorable half-court shot during a game against Michigan on Feb. 15. She scored an impressive 49 points in that game, setting a new single-game scoring record for Iowa.
After Clark’s historic achievement, Swoopes admitted her mistake. She revealed that LSU star Angel Reese helped facilitate a conversation between her and Clark. Swoopes acknowledged that she had misunderstood and praised Clark for her dedication to the sport.
Clark’s outstanding performance not only in breaking the record but also in her ongoing commitment to basketball earned her praise from Swoopes and others in the basketball community.
Now, with Iowa boasting an impressive record of 23-3 for the season, Clark and her team are preparing for their next game against Indiana.
