Reflecting on Caitlin Clark’s rookie season, I have to say, I’ve never seen an organization fumble the bag as hard as the WNBA did with Caitlin Clark.

A few days ago, the Indiana Fever were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs after losing to the Connecticut Sun. With the Indiana Fever’s season ending, it was a bittersweet close to Caitlin Clark’s phenomenal rookie season. However, it got me reflecting on the entire season, which unfortunately was overshadowed by drama, negativity, and several missteps by the WNBA. After the game, during the postgame press conference, Alyssa Thomas addressed the negativity surrounding the Fever fans and Caitlin Clark’s fanbase, saying, “Honestly, it’s been a lot of nonsense. In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced racial comments like I have from the Indiana Fever fan base. It’s unacceptable. We come to play basketball for our job, and it’s fun, but we don’t want to go to work every day and deal with social media blowing up over things like that. It’s uncalled for, and something needs to be done—whether it’s the Fever checking their fans or the league stepping in. There’s no time for it anymore.”

This is not the first time we’ve seen players speak out against Caitlin Clark’s fans or Fever fans. I’ve covered it multiple times on this show. Angel Reese has commented on it. The co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, Sheryl Swoopes, D. Carrington, and others have all voiced their concerns, labeling Clark’s fans as nasty and accusing them of spreading hate. But all of this focuses on what’s happening on social media. And, as I’ve mentioned before, we can’t control what people say behind the safety of a screen. One of the best things these players could do is simply get off social media and stop giving it so much light.

Another point to note is that Caitlin Clark, the Fever’s head coach, the WNBA commissioner, the WNBA Players Association, and several others within the league have all come out and condemned hateful and racist behavior from fans. So, I don’t entirely understand why Alyssa Thomas is once again calling for action from the Fever and the WNBA. What stands out to me is that she said this after they beat the Fever and eliminated them from the playoffs. Furthermore, based on what I’ve seen on social media and in the comments under my videos, many Fever fans or Caitlin Clark fans may no longer watch the WNBA now that the Fever are out of the playoffs. So, Alyssa Thomas probably won’t have to worry about those fans anymore. With Caitlin out, viewership will likely decrease significantly.

This pattern of negativity has been present throughout the season. It feels like some people within the WNBA want the league to grow, but only on their terms. There’s this undertone of jealousy surrounding Caitlin. I don’t know what else to call it, and I thought it would get better, but it hasn’t. It seems that certain individuals don’t want Caitlin to be part of the league because she brings millions of eyeballs with her. And yes, with that attention comes some unpleasant people. But I wonder, what if Caitlin had shared more publicly about the hateful comments, death threats, and stalking incidents she’s faced? What if she explained why she has personal security with her at all times? It’s a lot to deal with, and it’s not just coming from Fever or Caitlin Clark fans—it’s happening across the league.

There are fans, or perhaps trolls, who live online waiting for someone to say something about Caitlin or the Fever so they can pounce. One glaring example of this toxic behavior is how Dearica Hamby was treated by Las Vegas Aces fans. When she played against her former team, she was booed every time she touched the ball, not because she disrespected the organization, but because she filed a lawsuit claiming she was mistreated while pregnant. She had won championships with the Aces, yet their fans still booed her. Hamby admitted she fought back tears during that game. If players want to talk about toxic fan bases and bullying, this would have been the perfect time to stand up for a fellow WNBA player.

Now, I’m not saying there’s room for racism or hate in any sport. We can all agree that’s wrong, but if players don’t want to see it, they need to get off social media. These players are athletes, not influencers, and if something elevates to threats or stalking, there are legal avenues to pursue. I’ve discussed this in previous videos, so I don’t want to belabor the point. But to me, it seems hypocritical to harp on Caitlin’s fanbase when the WNBA has other major issues to address.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever’s first four playoff games drew over 1.8 million viewers on an NFL Sunday. In comparison, the other games had around 400,000 viewers. The Fever’s attendance this season was 200,000 more than any other team. These aren’t just delusional fans—they’re tuning in in massive numbers to watch one player who has sold out every arena she’s played in. Yet, throughout the season, people have been fighting against this narrative, claiming she’s getting too much attention or special treatment.

It’s disappointing because Caitlin brings so much to the league. If it were my league, I’d be thrilled to have someone drawing millions of new viewers. Unfortunately, jealousy and an “exclusive club” mentality seem to have held back the entire league. Now, we’re seeing fans saying they’ll stop watching until Caitlin is back on the court.

The WNBA commissioner missed a big opportunity here. If she had leaned into Caitlin’s popularity and said, “This is helping everyone, and we’re embracing it,” the league could have benefited greatly. Instead, they fumbled the situation. They could have created support systems for players dealing with social media attention and ensured that the league was growing because of, not in spite of, its new stars.

It reminds me of how the NFL handled the Taylor Swift phenomenon. Even though many people complained about how often she appeared on the Jumbotron, the NFL never backed down because it was helping their product. The WNBA could have taken a page from that playbook.

This season has been tough for many players who stayed out of the drama and focused on playing hard, like Napheesa Collier, who scored 42 points in a playoff game. It’s unfortunate that some players have overshadowed their efforts with petty comments and dirty play. I hope next season is different, especially with more young superstars entering the league.

Looking back on Caitlin’s rookie season, one of her best attributes was her ability to stay focused and not let the noise get to her. She handled every interview with grace, as did 99.9% of the Fever players, who were professional and composed throughout the season. I commend them for that.

Next season, when Caitlin returns as the box office superstar she is, I hope the focus is on basketball, not drama.