Sue Bird Just Cant Believe What Caitlin Clark Said...

I personally, ever since All-Star break, I've felt that Kaitlyn was the Rookie of the Year. She has since just continued to prove that. But which teams would I not want to see in the playoffs? And that's where you brought up the fever. I think what I've learned in my WNBA experience is pace of play trumps physicality. It trumps size. It can trump experience. Because a lot of times when you're experienced, it's really like code word for your veteran, which is code word for your old. Slow the pace. Yeah. So I feel like... I know that's why you guys were so good for those years. In 2018 and 2020, the years we won, that was our whole mantra was pace, pace, pace, pace, pace. And what I see in Kaitlyn, what I see in Kelsey Mitchell, they're just like ramming it down people's throats. And it's really hard. It can have your head spinning. So yeah, as I mentioned, Kelsey Mitchell's ball and Kaitlyn continuing to impress and just... She's going to break records nonstop for the next couple of years. It's just going to be a constant record break. She's obviously doing amazing. Her game speaks for itself. I think my favorite part is just women's basketball, women's sports, really, but women's basketball has been on the rise. And it's kind of like what magic and bird was to men's basketball. Like this moment, we kind of needed something. This is that moment. Yeah. And Kaitlyn's that moment. And I think a lot of it has to do with her logo threes. Yeah, not the best start. I'm sure she's feeling that right now, but that's part of adjusting to the WNBA, right? Maybe not having it happen this early, but part of professional sports is you're going to have some stretches that don't go your way. You're going to shoot bad. Your team's going to lose. And how do you respond to that? So I'm sure she would like those two games back. Everybody's clearly got their defensive game plan built around her, which is a compliment, but you got to figure it out from there. I'm going to let you deal with it. You're the mom. This is our first born, Kaitlyn Clark. As you can see, she has the passing ability of Shoshana Bird. She has the pull-up. She has long-distance range, like middle linebacker Tarassi. And she has the swag and competitiveness of both of us. This is our love child born in the internet era. They need to do that face mesh thing. They took the faces out. She's two of us. My concern with all the talk about the first question always being Kaitlyn is that we are ignoring so many other women that are coming up, but will there be a point where you're just relieved that that's not the first question? Where's your level of frustration as one of the greats and with so many other women out there? So where is your level with frustration there as to that being the first question? You know, I don't have frustration around that. I think that superstars do ignite weeks. They do carry them on. We've seen it on the men's side. We've seen it on the women's side as well. So it doesn't really frustrate me. It's her moment. She's coming off an amazing college season, drafted number one. It's not really, there's no way around it. Everybody wants to see how she's gonna do. I think the way I've always looked at it, as her popularity started to grow, particularly this last year, it felt like women's basketball in general, and then specifically the WNBA, was already on its way. The WNBA viewership and, you know, all the numbers that people look at, that was already on the rise, probably over the last couple of years. And to me, Caitlin was just this match that kind of ignited it and just made it bigger. So she accelerated everything quite a bit. Obviously the viewership numbers show that, but things were already on a trajectory that was headed upwards. So I'm thankful. I'm thankful for her in a lot of ways. You know, it's really tough. I think every Olympic cycle, there's a story of a snub. And it is because the talent is so great. I could sit here and make an argument for her being on the team, but that would require me to take somebody off. And when I look at this roster, I don't see myself doing that. If Caitlin had made the team and somebody else had gotten snubbed, and I could have made that argument, I would have looked at the roster and I wouldn't have been able to take anybody off. So that's the challenge of picking the U.S. Women's Basketball team. That's why we win gold. And that's why I'm hoping to see another one. Regardless of what others think, Caitlin Clark has proven to be nothing short of generational. Her stats, performance, and even mistakes have gotten almost everyone talking. Her praise or harsh criticisms, no in-between. However, among the many who have had something to say about her WNBA career so far is four-time WNBA champion, Sue Bird. So join me as I walk you through Sue Bird's honest feelings about Caitlin Clark. Post-Olympic break. Since the WNBA's Olympic break, superstar rookie point guard Caitlin Clark has been on a hot streak, keeping every fan and critic on their toes. In the words of 13-time all-star Sue Bird, I personally, ever since the break, have felt that Caitlin was the rookie of the year. She has since just continued to prove that. She led the Indiana Fever to a five-game winning streak, ultimately taking them to the playoffs for the first time in 2016. A team that started the season with a 2-9 record now sits sixth in the league standings with the best offensive rating of any team in the league since the all-star break. You know, as it stands, Caitlin Clark is 39 points away from ending her first year in the WNBA with 800 points. And to put that into perspective, she is playing in a league in which many, including WNBA players and legends, expected her to struggle. In the words of WNBA Hall of Famer Now I'm just laughing at all the folks who thought it was going to take her some time to adjust. I told y'all. Since the break, she has been averaging 24.3 points on 43.6% shooting, a league-high 8.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Now obviously she has had her challenges, but the several records that she has gone on to break are just proof of how much of a generational talent this 22-year-old guard is. This is like a female WNBA's Michael Jordan or LeBron in their first year in the league. The individual records that she has set in her first year are starting to lose count, with the most notable becoming increasingly outrageous by the day. I mean, how can a rookie lead the entire league in assists while setting the record for most assists in a WNBA season? And this is coming from a guard many knew only for her scoring, or rather three-point shooting. But in any case, despite her many critics, Kaitlyn Clark has surpassed all expectations, so much so that the four-time WNBA champion and five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird has had a lot to say about her, even going as far as to reveal her honest feelings about how dangerous the rookie is and how lethal she makes the Indiana Fever. So what did Sue Bird have to say about Kaitlyn Clark and the Indiana Fever? Playoff nightmare. While Kaitlyn Clark isn't the only player on the Indiana Fever team to be raking up the big numbers, the team owes their playoff spots to her. Her backcourt partner, Kelsey Mitchell, has averaged 19.6 points, two and a half rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while Aaliyah Boston is averaging 14.1 points, nine rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. However, the Eastern Conference team has a rookie with more career 30-point games than 96.3% of all players in WNBA history, thanks for their success. Now, the Indiana Fever's fast-paced play has been a problem for the rest of the league, and one person who has taken notice and knows the playoffs would be a nightmare for any team facing the fever is none other than WNBA legend Sue Bird. According to Bird, her experience in the WNBA has taught her that pace of play trumps physicality. In fact, she claims it trumps size and even experience. Which teams would I not want to see in the playoffs? And that's where you brought up the fever. I think what I've learned in my WNBA experience is pace of play trumps physicality. It trumps size. The 13-time WNBA All-Star credited Kaitlyn Clark and Kelsey Mitchell for their success in chemistry and running the fever's fast-paced offense, and noted that the team would pose a serious challenge for a higher-seeded team in the first round. Sue Bird, in her illustrious career in the WNBA, won the championship four times at the Seattle Storm, so she knows a thing or two about facing a dangerous team in the playoffs. What she, however, knows better is a lethal player to face, and in a recent interview, she singled out Kaitlyn Clark as a dangerous player no WNBA team wants to face in the 2024 playoffs. Sue Bird, during an interview with The Spun, was asked many questions about the Indiana Fever Guard, and among the many questions, she gave her honest opinion about one in particular. Sue Bird was asked if Clark's shooting range or fast-paced play were more dangerous to opposing teams, and she responded that Kaitlyn Clark's range is far superior because it unlocks everything. She explained further, saying, while Kaitlyn Clark possessing both skills makes her hard to defend, what makes every defense confused with what to throw at her is how much of a threat she is when even she is far from the basket. As a rookie, she has already proven that she can find open players to pass to when opponents send a double-team in her direction, so her shooting range makes her even more lethal. Sue Bird later credited Kaitlyn's pace, noting that the Guard's constant movement put pressure on any defense no matter how good it is. So combining both her shooting range and fast-paced play, Sue Bird believes every single team in the WNBA has a problem on their hands in the playoffs. You know, trouble for everybody else. That's why I don't want to see her in the playoffs, said Sue Bird. The WNBA legend believes that Kaitlyn Clark is more dangerous than ever, and we all shouldn't be shocked if we start to see teams pick her up full court in the playoffs. But in any case, Sue Bird's praising Kaitlyn Clark should not come as a surprise. When several WNBA legends have decided to pile on and discredit Kaitlyn's talent, Bird has been an outspoken supporter of Clark throughout her rookie season in the WNBA. You could very well call her Kaitlyn's biggest fan. Now, you would agree that Kaitlyn Clark hasn't found many fans among WNBA legends, Hall of Famers Lynette Woodard and Cheryl Swoopes have antagonized her, WNBA MVPs Breonna Stewart and Diana Taurasia publicly belittled Kaitlyn's accomplishments, and WNBA stars like Dijana Carrington and Kennedy Carter have also taken shots at her on social media. All of this within a year. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn's performance slump early into her WNBA career didn't help much as it allowed critics to get bold and pile on her. But despite all of these things, Sue Bird has done nothing but support Kaitlyn Clark all through. When critics piled on her asking what else she brought to the game besides her three-pointers, Sue Bird came to her defense, going as far as to call her three-point an antidote to dunking. Kaitlyn, her long-distance threes, I always said this, we finally got the antidote to dunking, Sue Bird said. Sue explained that Kaitlyn's talent to make the basket from any point on the court has changed the negative stereotype about women's basketball not being entertaining. She applauded Kaitlyn for bringing such a large audience and attention to the league. At every turn, she has made sure to credit Kaitlyn for the tremendous change the WNBA has faced since she got drafted. For the remainder of time, Kaitlyn will go down as whatever you want to call it, the one who made the change, this pivotal person, she will 100% said Sue Bird. Also, when Kaitlyn struggled in her first few professional games in the league, winning only one of her first nine games while averaging 17.9 points on 37.7% shooting and committing 5.7 turnovers per game, Sue Bird was one of the few who publicly supported her. Not to mention when Kaitlyn's rookie of the year status became questionable, with numerous agendas making waves. Bird openly proclaimed the Indiana Fever guard her rookie of the year and then doubled down on her claim, letting the world know what she made her decision even before the Olympic break. I personally, ever since All-Star break, have felt that Kaitlyn was the rookie of the year. She has since just continued to prove that, Sue Bird said. Now for what it is worth, Kaitlyn Clark doesn't need Sue Bird's backing to secure the rookie of the year award. The guard has been nothing short of generational and should very well be the unanimous rookie of the year and unanimous first team All-WNBA. But can Kaitlyn Clark be the unanimous rookie of the year and unanimous first team All-WNBA? Unanimous rookie of the year. With all eyes on the WNBA playoffs, all eyes are also on who would be crowned the WNBA rookie of the year. This draft class has been the most anticipated in the league's history. From Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese to Rekia Jackson and Camila Cardoso, every single one has lived up to expectations. Angel Reese's memorable rookie season tragically ended after she suffered a season-ending wrist injury. But over 34 games, she averaged 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, all while recording 26 double-doubles, just shy of Connecticut forward Alyssa Thomas' record of 28 set last year. Rekia Jackson, on the other hand, has proven to be more than decent too. The Los Angeles Sparks forward scored in double figures in every game but one since July 13th. So far, she has scored 508 points, joining Candice Parker as the only Sparks rookie to score at least 500 points in their first season. The third overall pick, Chicago Sky Center Camila Cardoso, is currently sidelined, but in 32 games this season, she averaged 9.8 points on 52.1% shooting, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. However, among them all in this rookie class, only one has written her name in the history books the most. Kaitlyn holds the WNBA records for most assists in a season, most assists in a game, and career 25 points plus 10 assists. She has the most points, assists, and three-pointers made of any rookie in WNBA history. Kaitlyn Clark is without a doubt the best offensive rookie in WNBA history, and what better resume does she need to be to have unanimous rookie of the year? Well, we will all have to wait and find out, but for what it is worth, WNBA fans have since voiced their opinion since Sue Bird revealed her honest feelings about Kaitlyn Clark being dangerous to face and the rookie of the year, according to a user. Sue Bird is not petty. She doesn't hold good talent against people, who has followed CeCe for some time now and has always had good things to say about her. Another user commented, she has lived up to expectations. She is definitely a unanimous rookie of the year. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and find out, and if you enjoyed this video, then the next video on your screen is also worth your time.