And I just wanted to throw this out there just as a reference point, just to put things in perspective about what Caitlan Clark brings to the table. The average attendance in the thirty three games Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have played in this season is fifteen thousand, seven hundred and forty six, which leads the WNBA. The average attendance of WNBA games not involving Caitlan Clark is on average eight thousand, four hundred and ninety and eighty five percent drop from games that Caitlan Clark is not participating in. Obviously, the New York Liberty average over eleven thousand, the Los Angeles Sparks average over ten thousand, but the Indiana Fever at fifteen thousand, seven hundred and forty six. Yet I'm on the air the other day and I'm talking about the Indiana Fever and I had to get on you know somebody we both have incredible respect for in Cheryl Swoops, your champion on every level, one of the greatest players in WNBA history. Because I said, how do you mention the Indiana Fever and all of these other players and you don't mention Caitlyn Clark, and then all of a sudden she gets on me and calls me a coward and all of this other stuff. I don't know what you can say about Cheryl Swoops, but if there's anything that you could say, what would you want to say in terms of the narrative that has been put out there as it pertains to her coverage and her feelings about Caitlyn Clark.

And I just wanted to throw this out there just as a reference point, just to put things in perspective about what Caitlan Clark brings to the table. The average attendance in the thirty three games Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have played in this season is fifteen thousand, seven hundred and forty six, which leads the WNBA. The average attendance of WNBA games not involving Caitlan Clark is on average eight thousand, four hundred and ninety and eighty five percent drop from games that Caitlan Clark is not participating in. Obviously, the New York Liberty average over eleven thousand, the Los Angeles Sparks average over ten thousand, but the Indiana Fever at fifteen thousand, seven hundred and forty six. Yet I'm on the air the other day and I'm talking about the Indiana Fever and I had to get on you know somebody we both have incredible respect for in Cheryl Swoops, your champion on every level, one of the greatest players in WNBA history. Because I said, how do you mention the Indiana Fever and all of these other players and you don't mention Caitlyn Clark, and then all of a sudden she gets on me and calls me a coward and all of this other stuff. I don't know what you can say about Cheryl Swoops, but if there's anything that you could say, what would you want to say in terms of the narrative that has been put out there as it pertains to her coverage and her feelings about Caitlyn Clark.

You know, I've known Cheryl since she was in college.

You know, I've known Cheryl since she was in college.

I helped her shoe deal with Nike in nineteen ninety three, took her to her first sb's. I've known Cheryl, I've coached her, have a lot of respect for her. I called her when Caitlyn was still playing at Iowa and she had just in Marevich's record, and it was all over the place. As you and I have discussed that, you know, there was this quote by Cheryl that said, you know, Caitlin was, you know, twenty five years old. She was, however, twenty four years old. She was a fifty year senior. She was taking forty shots a game. Her records were illegitimate. And I got off the treadmill and I called her as a friend and I said you know, you can say whatever you want, you can have your own opinion about anybody, but you do have to get the statistics right.

I helped her shoe deal with Nike in nineteen ninety three, took her to her first sb's. I've known Cheryl, I've coached her, have a lot of respect for her. I called her when Caitlyn was still playing at Iowa and she had just in Marevich's record, and it was all over the place. As you and I have discussed that, you know, there was this quote by Cheryl that said, you know, Caitlin was, you know, twenty five years old. She was, however, twenty four years old. She was a fifty year senior. She was taking forty shots a game. Her records were illegitimate. And I got off the treadmill and I called her as a friend and I said you know, you can say whatever you want, you can have your own opinion about anybody, but you do have to get the statistics right.

I mean, facts matter.

I mean, facts matter.

And if you just get ahead of this and just say, hey, I'm made a mistake on my numbers, then this thing is over and everybody respects you for your opinion. And you know, you might like Boston, I might like the Yankees. You know it's okay to have difference of opinions. Well, she got a set with me on the phone and I was like, Cheryl, you know, I'm not doing anything to hurt you.

And if you just get ahead of this and just say, hey, I'm made a mistake on my numbers, then this thing is over and everybody respects you for your opinion. And you know, you might like Boston, I might like the Yankees. You know it's okay to have difference of opinions. Well, she got a set with me on the phone and I was like, Cheryl, you know, I'm not doing anything to hurt you.

I'm just sharing.

I'm just sharing.

We're talking, and so our relationship pretty much is not happening at this point. I tried to talk to her at the final four sheet and want to talk to me, My life's going to be good or great with or without Cheryl Swoops in my life.

We're talking, and so our relationship pretty much is not happening at this point. I tried to talk to her at the final four sheet and want to talk to me, My life's going to be good or great with or without Cheryl Swoops in my life.

I'd rather have her in it. But let me tell you the difference.

I'd rather have her in it. But let me tell you the difference.

The difference is when the Kennedy Carter thing happened and I'm doing Michelle Beadle's podcast with Lou Williams and Channel and Parsons, and Michelle says to me, Nancy, what would you tell Caitlyn Clark in that situation, and I said to Michelle, look, I'm not here to speak for Kate and Clark. You know Kitlyn Clark, I'm not going to tell you that. Then she said, what would you do if somebody kind of blindsided you like that? And you know me, I'm straight from New York, straight from Broker Park. I said, I would have gotten up. I would have walked up to whoever did that to me. I would have punched him in the face, and you know the explicittive that I used, and I would have said, you know, off, that is who I am. That is the concentric circle of who I am, and that's my era. And so to her point, Teresa Weatherspoon called me my dear friend who I love, respect and admire. She said, Nancy, I was disappointed what you said. And we had a conversation and I said, Spoon, I didn't say she should paunch Kennedy Carter in her face. I said, this is what I would do if I were blindsided. And I've known Kennedy since she was in high school here in Dallas. I think she's a hell of a player and should have been on the All Star team. Yes, but my comment about hitting her wasn't about her, But we had this conversation which we apparently cannot have with me and Cheryl swoops.

The difference is when the Kennedy Carter thing happened and I'm doing Michelle Beadle's podcast with Lou Williams and Channel and Parsons, and Michelle says to me, Nancy, what would you tell Caitlyn Clark in that situation, and I said to Michelle, look, I'm not here to speak for Kate and Clark. You know Kitlyn Clark, I'm not going to tell you that. Then she said, what would you do if somebody kind of blindsided you like that? And you know me, I'm straight from New York, straight from Broker Park. I said, I would have gotten up. I would have walked up to whoever did that to me. I would have punched him in the face, and you know the explicittive that I used, and I would have said, you know, off, that is who I am. That is the concentric circle of who I am, and that's my era. And so to her point, Teresa Weatherspoon called me my dear friend who I love, respect and admire. She said, Nancy, I was disappointed what you said. And we had a conversation and I said, Spoon, I didn't say she should paunch Kennedy Carter in her face. I said, this is what I would do if I were blindsided. And I've known Kennedy since she was in high school here in Dallas. I think she's a hell of a player and should have been on the All Star team. Yes, but my comment about hitting her wasn't about her, But we had this conversation which we apparently cannot have with me and Cheryl swoops.

And I still think she was incorrect about what she did. And you know, we all have to.

And I still think she was incorrect about what she did. And you know, we all have to.

Be professional, right, You covered people, right, You and Durant have kind of gone at it in and out for a little bit, but you still do highlights and talk about him and share the greatness of him.

Be professional, right, You covered people, right, You and Durant have kind of gone at it in and out for a little bit, but you still do highlights and talk about him and share the greatness of him.

You don't have to agree with everything with him, but just do your job. Do your job. You get paid to do a job as a broadcaster. Do your job. Nobody says you have to be in love with anybody else.

You don't have to agree with everything with him, but just do your job. Do your job. You get paid to do a job as a broadcaster. Do your job. Nobody says you have to be in love with anybody else.

But if you're going to do an Indiana Wings game, you're going to have to talk about Caitlyn Clark and her great teammates and what they're doing. And they have you know, uh Leah Boston, they have you know, Kelsey Mitchell, who's just bananas, I mean unstoppable by the way.

But if you're going to do an Indiana Wings game, you're going to have to talk about Caitlyn Clark and her great teammates and what they're doing. And they have you know, uh Leah Boston, they have you know, Kelsey Mitchell, who's just bananas, I mean unstoppable by the way.

Yes, and Caitlyn Clark.

Yes, and Caitlyn Clark.

So why would you not build around it? You know, when I was playing, you would have looked like an idiot.

So why would you not build around it? You know, when I was playing, you would have looked like an idiot.

If you didn't.

If you didn't.

When you talked about old Dominion, you know, two time national champions and two time player of the year and you didn't talk about me.

When you talked about old Dominion, you know, two time national champions and two time player of the year and you didn't talk about me.

And that's the issue, Nancy, because listen, here's the thing. What incriminates in my opinion, it's just my opinion, but what incriminates somebody like cheryl' Swoops even more, who, by the way, was supposed to be calling the game with y'all yesterday and she did not call the game. And no doubts it had something to do with the fact that when you know how Caitlyn Clark had performed earlier in the week, she didn't want to talk about it at all. So we recognize that. And we know in television the way that I do. I know what producers do. I know what bosses do when you see you know your personal feelings whatever they may be infiltrating the proceedings and compromising your position as a professional. But I think in the case of Cheryl Swoops, and I'm not going to belabor this point, but it's important to be made. Cheryl Swoops is a winner, She was great, and she's a phenomenal basketball mind. So what she's not realizing is that when she doesn't state the obvious, it's automatically going to be assumed that it's something personal because we know, you know the basketball game, the game of basketball too well to ignore the kind of things that she's ignoring. When it comes to Caitlyn Clark, Am I wrong in saying that?

And that's the issue, Nancy, because listen, here's the thing. What incriminates in my opinion, it's just my opinion, but what incriminates somebody like cheryl' Swoops even more, who, by the way, was supposed to be calling the game with y'all yesterday and she did not call the game. And no doubts it had something to do with the fact that when you know how Caitlyn Clark had performed earlier in the week, she didn't want to talk about it at all. So we recognize that. And we know in television the way that I do. I know what producers do. I know what bosses do when you see you know your personal feelings whatever they may be infiltrating the proceedings and compromising your position as a professional. But I think in the case of Cheryl Swoops, and I'm not going to belabor this point, but it's important to be made. Cheryl Swoops is a winner, She was great, and she's a phenomenal basketball mind. So what she's not realizing is that when she doesn't state the obvious, it's automatically going to be assumed that it's something personal because we know, you know the basketball game, the game of basketball too well to ignore the kind of things that she's ignoring. When it comes to Caitlyn Clark, Am I wrong in saying that?

Now, You're You're not wrong in saying that.

Now, You're You're not wrong in saying that.

And I would like to thank the Wings and Ballets for putting me on the game and asking me if I would do it.

And I would like to thank the Wings and Ballets for putting me on the game and asking me if I would do it.

I will do anything for women's basketball. I'm just a servant leader here.

I will do anything for women's basketball. I'm just a servant leader here.

At one point in my career, I wanted to be the greatest of all time, and now I just want to be a great you know, person that supports this generation of greatness. So to to your point, you know, I think she created this firestorm. She could put it out, and you know, it's like I always tell people at this stage, your ego's not your im ego. Okay, your ego's not your friend. We have to humble ourselves and do our job and just recognize that. You know, Caitlin might not be her cup of tea, but she's not doing anything to.

At one point in my career, I wanted to be the greatest of all time, and now I just want to be a great you know, person that supports this generation of greatness. So to to your point, you know, I think she created this firestorm. She could put it out, and you know, it's like I always tell people at this stage, your ego's not your im ego. Okay, your ego's not your friend. We have to humble ourselves and do our job and just recognize that. You know, Caitlin might not be her cup of tea, but she's not doing anything to.

Hurt Cheryl Swoops.

Hurt Cheryl Swoops.

She admires Cheryl Swoops and the Maya Moors and the Sue Birds and the legends that came before her and I would dare say, you can't find a sound bite a sound bite this season of Caitlin Clark saying anything derogatory about anybody.

She admires Cheryl Swoops and the Maya Moors and the Sue Birds and the legends that came before her and I would dare say, you can't find a sound bite a sound bite this season of Caitlin Clark saying anything derogatory about anybody.

She says, I don't care that she chatters on the court. He doesn't. Yeah, I mean the.

She says, I don't care that she chatters on the court. He doesn't. Yeah, I mean the.

Great ones, Chattered Bird, Magic, all them. It's okay, that's a competitor. But you know, I mean, for this woman, you know, to be maligned, you shouldn't. You don't have to buy the number twenty two jersey if you don't want it, but what you should do is applaud her for helping grow this sport that we have busted or asked for for the last fifty years. I mean, my Olympic team in seventy six just got inducted last August.

Great ones, Chattered Bird, Magic, all them. It's okay, that's a competitor. But you know, I mean, for this woman, you know, to be maligned, you shouldn't. You don't have to buy the number twenty two jersey if you don't want it, but what you should do is applaud her for helping grow this sport that we have busted or asked for for the last fifty years. I mean, my Olympic team in seventy six just got inducted last August.

Some of my teammates thought.

Some of my teammates thought.

They were going to die and never get recognized for being the first Olympic women's team. Julie Simpson who was a co captain with Pat Summit on that team. The people are starting to know who Julien. You know, people knew who Pat some it was, or Nancy Liebman or Anne Myers, but they didn't know who Lucy was until Lucy died and Tris Roberts and and you know, Sue roy Switch, and we had so many great players on that team.

They were going to die and never get recognized for being the first Olympic women's team. Julie Simpson who was a co captain with Pat Summit on that team. The people are starting to know who Julien. You know, people knew who Pat some it was, or Nancy Liebman or Anne Myers, but they didn't know who Lucy was until Lucy died and Tris Roberts and and you know, Sue roy Switch, and we had so many great players on that team.

We just want to be recognized.

We just want to be recognized.

And when the young players of today recognize, you know, the pioneers of the game, it's a thank you, and the pioneers and today's athlete should be saying to Angel Reese and to you know, Asia and to you know, you know, Jackie Young and all these great players, thank you, thank you so much.

And when the young players of today recognize, you know, the pioneers of the game, it's a thank you, and the pioneers and today's athlete should be saying to Angel Reese and to you know, Asia and to you know, you know, Jackie Young and all these great players, thank you, thank you so much.

Hey, thank you for winning that gold medal.

Hey, thank you for winning that gold medal.

Thank you for busting your behind on behalf of America. And we stand and support you. But if you have a legend who's coming at a young player on the rise, it just it's it's not a good look. And and Caitlin didn't start this, and I know Caitlyn, she won't finish it.

Thank you for busting your behind on behalf of America. And we stand and support you. But if you have a legend who's coming at a young player on the rise, it just it's it's not a good look. And and Caitlin didn't start this, and I know Caitlyn, she won't finish it.

She'll just play ball. That's who she is.

She'll just play ball. That's who she is.

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