Caitlin Clark is the biggest star in college basketball right now, but she is learning that it comes with added responsibility and a higher standard than most. To some women’s basketball fans, several of her cocky, brazen, competitive actions during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament were a massive disappointment from the budding star their daughters look up to. Watch four of those moments below.
Caitlin Clark criticized for disappointing behavior
From exploding on the referees to blaming her teammates for mistakes, the NCAA all-time leading scorer had some unsavory moments with the eyes of the world on March Madness.
In particular, her NSFW scream on Monday against West Virginia that was caught on cameras did not make for a good look. After scoring an important basket, she let loose a loud “shut the f*ck up!”
Even Caitlin Clark’s dad offered some push back. He was shown on the broadcast of the Hawkeyes’ contest against Holy Cross telling her to shut up after she was whining about a call.
One user on X, formerly Twitter, sparked a contentious debate by posting clips of the four incidents with the caption: “Caitlin Clark is a talented basketball player, but her behavior during this tournament has been disappointing.”
We need athletes to set good examples for young people, and CC had the opportunity to be a positive role model but fell short,” the post continued. “It’s not just her, players in all sports need to realize that young players look up to them and want to be like them.”
Does Caitlin Clark face a double standard?
It’s a harsh criticism of the likely No. 1 WNBA Draft pick, but one that will follow her if she becomes the face of a pro franchise. However, the responses to the viral post proved many fans love the Iowa star even more for her fiery attitude and competitive spirit.
They were quick to point out that men’s basketball players often do all the same things and face no added scrutiny, creating a double standard faced by foul-mouthed stars of women’s March Madness like Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink.
One thing that cannot be debated is Clark’s impact on the court. The first two rounds may have been a pressure cooker, but she rose to the challenge. Clark averaged 29.5 points, 8 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the wins against Holy Cross and WVU as Iowa advanced to the Sweet 16 to face Colorado.
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