The Gloves Are Off: NBA Stars Rally Behind Caitlin Clark as She Fights Back in Sophomore Season

We’re barely into the new WNBA season, and the drama is already white-hot. But this time, Caitlin Clark isn’t playing the rookie victim — she’s rewriting the script, and some of the biggest names in the NBA are standing behind her.

Let’s be clear: Last season, Clark was the target — 17% of all flagrant fouls in the WNBA were committed against her. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a message. And she heard it loud and clear. From on-court hacks to online taunts, Clark endured it all with class. Until now.

This season? She’s giving it back — hard.

It started with a bang. In the opening game, Clark fouled Angel Reese hard, flipping the narrative instantly. Reese — who taunted her during last year’s rookie campaign — didn’t see it coming. But Clark made one thing clear postgame: “Nothing malicious. Just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that.”

Translation: I’m done being your punching bag.

And it wasn’t a one-off. When Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard tried to rattle her, Clark brushed it off like lint on a jersey. She didn’t argue. She didn’t flinch. She kept hooping.

Even NBA legends took notice. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce weren’t subtle. “Caitlin’s off that nice-girl s**t now,” Garnett said. “She let it slide last year, but she’s here now. This is her league too.”

Former NBA stars like Paul George and Kenyon Martin echoed that support. George praised Clark for growing the league — fast-tracking viewership and media buzz to heights the WNBA had never seen. “She’s the face of the league, and she’s earned it,” George said. “Now she’s talking back, and I love it.”

But not everyone is thrilled.

WNBA legend Cheryl Swoopes tried to paint Clark as the aggressor after the Reese incident, calling her a bully. Bad take. Especially when three former NBA players — Gilbert Arenas, Nick Young, and Kenyon Martin — fired back, pointing out Angel’s flop and the hypocrisy in criticizing Clark for finally defending herself.

Even Skip Bayless, never shy with opinions, took Clark’s side: “Sorry ladies, but compared to her drawing power, you are chopped liver.” He’s not wrong. Clark moves the needle — the ratings prove it.

For Clark, the message is simple: She’s not here to smile through cheap shots anymore. She’s here to win — and let her game and grit speak louder than ever before.

The era of polite silence is over. Caitlin Clark has arrived — and now, she’s swinging back.