‘Embarrassing’ – ESPN under fire from Caitlin Clark fans after basketball ranking snub
Caitlin Clark isn’t a top-five college basketball player. That is according to ESPN, who recently released their rankings of the greatest female NCAA players. Caitlin Clark did not win a championship at IowaGetty Clark dominated college basketball during her four years at the Iowa Hawkeyes. The WNBA superstar broke multiple records, including scoring the most points in NCAA history. Many would deem this grounds enough to call Clark the greatest female college player of all time, but some say her lack of a championship holds her back from that title. That stance is one ESPN analysts Sam Ravech, Ari Chambers, and Alexa Philippou took during a March 16 segment titled ‘Is Caitlin Clark The Greatest Of All Time In College Basketball?’ on YouTube. The group initially placed Clark five on the all-time list but moved her down after Chambers called her out over a lack of hardware. “Love Caitlin, love how she has transcended the game… But in the open, we said What makes a top-five player? Winning,” she said. “The only thing, the only strike against Caitlin Clark, is that she has not won a National Championship. “And that is the only thing that you can put against her, because the way that she has dominated the record books when she was at Iowa was something you could put duplicate. “But how can you be a top-five player if you have not won a title?” That argument was enough for Ravech to move Clark down and put basketball legend Cheryl Miller at No.5 instead. @ESPNESPN used Clark in the headline but did not rank her in their top five[/caption] The ex-Iowa star has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame stemming from her college daysGETTY The rest of the list included New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart at No. 1, Candace Parker at No. 2, Diana Taurasi at No. 3, and Maya Moore at No. 4. Once the video was released it sparked furious reactions online from fans. Many were quick to criticize the fact that the title of the clip was led on Clark and yet she wasn’t even included in the top five. “Can‘t make clicks without putting Caitlin Clark in the title and on the thumbnail LOL,” said one fan in the comments section of the YouTube video. Others on X labeled ESPN’s Clark move as “embarrassing” and “shameless.” Another popular comment asked: “If Caitlin Clark isn’t in contention because she didn’t when the NCAA Championship, then why are you click baiting us with the title to this show?” Breanna Stewart won four NCAA championshipsGETTY Clark capped off a remarkable debut season with the WNBA Rookie of the Year awardGetty Despite the fury online, Clark not being in contention as the greatest college basketball player of all time is a view also shared by four-time NCAA champion Stewart. In an appearance on College Sports on Sirius XM, Stewart explained why Clark cannot be considered a legend in college basketball. “No,” Stewart promptly replied when asked if Clark is a legend in college basketball. “She does [need a title]. I think so, you are going to look 10 years back and you are going to see all the records that she has broken, points and stuff like that. “But anybody knows your goal when you play college basketball is to win a national championship. So you need one.” Ultimately, wherever ESPN ranks Clark, the 23-year-old can take solace from the fact she is one of their biggest drivers of viewership when it comes to women’s basketball. ESPN’s broadcast of the 2024 Final Four game between Iowa and UConn drew the largest TV audience of any basketball game (including college and pro, men’s and women’s) in the history of the network with 14.2 million viewers. A total of 31 WNBA matches last season averaged over one million viewers and 22 of them involved Clark. While Clark won’t be able to win a NCAA title, the star will be focusing her attention on forging her own legacy in the WNBA by leading the Indiana Fever to a championship.
Caitlin Clark isn’t a top-five college basketball player.
That is according to ESPN, who recently released their rankings of the greatest female NCAA players.
Clark dominated college basketball during her four years at the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The WNBA superstar broke multiple records, including scoring the most points in NCAA history.
Many would deem this grounds enough to call Clark the greatest female college player of all time, but some say her lack of a championship holds her back from that title.
That stance is one ESPN analysts Sam Ravech, Ari Chambers, and Alexa Philippou took during a March 16 segment titled ‘Is Caitlin Clark The Greatest Of All Time In College Basketball?’ on YouTube.
The group initially placed Clark five on the all-time list but moved her down after Chambers called her out over a lack of hardware.
“Love Caitlin, love how she has transcended the game… But in the open, we said What makes a top-five player? Winning,” she said.
“The only thing, the only strike against Caitlin Clark, is that she has not won a National Championship.
“And that is the only thing that you can put against her, because the way that she has dominated the record books when she was at Iowa was something you could put duplicate.
“But how can you be a top-five player if you have not won a title?”
That argument was enough for Ravech to move Clark down and put basketball legend Cheryl Miller at No.5 instead.
The rest of the list included New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart at No. 1, Candace Parker at No. 2, Diana Taurasi at No. 3, and Maya Moore at No. 4.
Once the video was released it sparked furious reactions online from fans.
Many were quick to criticize the fact that the title of the clip was led on Clark and yet she wasn’t even included in the top five.
“Can‘t make clicks without putting Caitlin Clark in the title and on the thumbnail LOL,” said one fan in the comments section of the YouTube video.
Others on X labeled ESPN’s Clark move as “embarrassing” and “shameless.”
Another popular comment asked: “If Caitlin Clark isn’t in contention because she didn’t when the NCAA Championship, then why are you click baiting us with the title to this show?”
Despite the fury online, Clark not being in contention as the greatest college basketball player of all time is a view also shared by four-time NCAA champion Stewart.
In an appearance on College Sports on Sirius XM, Stewart explained why Clark cannot be considered a legend in college basketball.
“No,” Stewart promptly replied when asked if Clark is a legend in college basketball.
“She does [need a title]. I think so, you are going to look 10 years back and you are going to see all the records that she has broken, points and stuff like that.
“But anybody knows your goal when you play college basketball is to win a national championship. So you need one.”
Ultimately, wherever ESPN ranks Clark, the 23-year-old can take solace from the fact she is one of their biggest drivers of viewership when it comes to women’s basketball.
ESPN’s broadcast of the 2024 Final Four game between Iowa and UConn drew the largest TV audience of any basketball game (including college and pro, men’s and women’s) in the history of the network with 14.2 million viewers.
A total of 31 WNBA matches last season averaged over one million viewers and 22 of them involved Clark.
While Clark won’t be able to win a NCAA title, the star will be focusing her attention on forging her own legacy in the WNBA by leading the Indiana Fever to a championship.
