Indiana Fever draft pick Caitlin Clark has made history in women’s college basketball. The Iowa Hawkeyes standout finished her college career as the all-time leading scorer in both men’s and women’s basketball. In addition, she holds the record for most points in a single season, and her outstanding performance led her team to the National Championship game in 2023-24. However, despite her accomplishments, Clark has recently become embroiled in controversy due to criticism from media personality and former men’s college basketball player Doug Gottlieb.
The controversy started when Gottlieb took to social media, specifically X (previously known as Twitter), to criticize Clark’s shooting technique. This sparked a heated debate on social media, as many found it absurd that someone with a mediocre basketball career would criticize one of the best players in college basketball history. Gottlieb even got defensive when faced with pushback, comparing Clark to NBA player Lonzo Ball and insinuating that she should change her technique like Ball did when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers from college ball.
The amount of work it takes to be consistent through her mechanical flaw is really impressive. If you were advising her, would you fix it in the offseason? @HoopConsultants pic.twitter.com/0JvLFRPDNK
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) April 30, 2024
While Clark is not immune to criticism, as shown by her struggles with turnovers in the national championship game against South Carolina, Gottlieb’s take on her shooting form was unexpected. After all, Clark has drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry, the single-best three-point shooter in NBA history. Many on social media questioned why Gottlieb felt the need to “mansplain” shooting to a player who has been lauded for her incredible shooting ability. In today’s society where reactions are instantaneous, people were quick to call out Gottlieb’s criticism.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Gottlieb has been involved in controversy. In his college days, he was caught stealing credit cards from teammates while playing for Notre Dame. While he did plead guilty and was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, the incident remains a stain on his reputation. Many fans argue that this past transgression should disqualify him from being able to offer critical opinions on the skills of other players.
Do you ever get tired of being a miserable wash up?
— The Saurus (@TheSaurus831) May 1, 2024
On the other hand, Gottlieb does have experience in basketball, albeit at the college level. He played for Notre Dame and Oklahoma State, where he averaged a “healthy” 5.1 points per game. Some argue that this experience allows him to offer valid opinions and criticism on players’ skills and techniques. Others argue that his brief stint in college does not give him the credentials to criticize one of the best players in the history of women’s college basketball.
Despite the controversy, Clark remains focused on her upcoming WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever. She has yet to respond to Gottlieb’s criticism, and her fans are hopeful that she will continue to prove her critics wrong at the professional level. As the WNBA continues to grow and gain more attention and recognition, Clark will undoubtedly face more scrutiny and criticism. However, she has shown time and again that she is a fierce and determined player who will not let anyone bring her down.
prolly would just trust that she’s one of the best shooters in the world and let her be
— Brenden Schaeffer🎳 (@bschaeffer12) May 1, 2024
While this controversy may be gaining attention on social media, it does bring up a larger issue. Women in sports, particularly in male-dominated sports like basketball, often face more scrutiny and criticism than their male counterparts. When a male player is criticized, it is often seen as legitimate criticism, but when a female player is criticized, it is often seen as an attack on her gender. This double standard is something that the sports world is still grappling with, and it is important to continue having these discussions to progress towards a more equitable and fair representation of female athletes.
