‘She Is Irrelevant,’ ‘Pathetic’ — Basketball World Fumes As Ex-ESPN Host Accuses WNBA of ‘Coddling’ Caitlin Clark, Ignoring ‘Extremely Nasty’ Fanbase

Caitlin Clark's arrival in the WNBA helped push women's basketball to a new level of mainstream attention. From record-setting television audiences to packed arenas, the "Caitlin Clark effect" quickly became one of the biggest storylines surrounding the league.

But with that spotlight also came intense criticism of Clark and, increasingly, the fanbase surrounding her. Now, a former ESPN host has added another chapter to that debate.

Cari Champion's Fiery Comments on Caitlin Clark and Her Fanbase Draw Backlash

On Wednesday, former ESPN host Cari Champion appeared on political commentator Bakari Sellers' podcast, "The Bakari Sellers Show," where she didn't hold back.

Champion argued that Clark's fanbase is overly "entitled" and unable to handle even mild criticism of its favorite player, suggesting that any pushback toward Clark is met with disproportionate outrage online.

"The WNBA is trying to balance this entitled fanbase. … I say they are entitled because they get so upset when you say anything about Caitlin, when you say she doesn't play defense, when you say that she needs to be better on the court in terms of her leadership," Champion said .

"… And by the way, her attention is extreme either way. Either extreme pro or extremely not so, it's extreme. No matter how you talk about her, it's going to be extreme."

She didn't stop there but instead urged the WNBA to take a closer look at Clark's supporters.

"If the W really wants to be taken seriously, they cannot be coddled. And I'm talking about all players. And I think that they're mishandling Caitlin in a time that is so polarizing," Champion continued.

"You have a league of women, 70% Black women, and you are putting your supernova — and that's not my name for her. That is what the numbers are saying, that is what the dollars are saying, that is what her impact is saying — and you're coddling her, and you're ignoring this extremely nasty base."

Champion's comments quickly spread across social media, with clips from the podcast triggering a wave of responses from the basketball world.

One influencer stated that they are tired of certain media personalities repeatedly minimizing Clark's impact while creating what they believe are misleading narratives about her.

"It's nasty, and it's toxic, and it's all these things pertaining to Caitlin Clark and her fan base, but these other players have the exact same type of fan base doing the exact same thing. Even worse, she's quiet; she ignores it; they don't see it. … This lady is pathetic; don't even give her an ounce of your attention after this!!!" the influencer wrote .

Another X user flatly stated they were done being provoked into caring about inflammatory commentary.

"I am genuinely done being rage-baited into giving a [expletive] about opinions from people like Cari Champion. She is irrelevant to the league and its future; she's trying to desperately hold onto the Caitlin hate train so she can get some clout out of it," the user said .

"They really hate that they can't control the narrative anymore. This is so hilarious, it's time to break glass on Bakari Sellers. OMG," another reacted .

Team USA recently defeated France 97-79 in Berlin to win its fifth consecutive FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup title. Clark contributed 12 points in the final as the Americans overcame an early 14-point deficit.

One user pointed out that Clark's global popularity was visible in Germany throughout the tournament, with fans from European countries showing support.

"Significant number in the crowd with Caitlin jerseys on, and not just at the USA games. She was one of the players who received the biggest reception outside of the Germany team. (I've got the videos to prove it). This was in Europe!" the user wrote .

While most of the reactions focused on Champion's comments about Clark and her fanbase, one user took a different approach, bringing up her connection to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

"Stephen A. Smith breathed new life into this woman's career, and this is how she's going about utilizing her last 15 minutes of fame. Wild," the user said .

As the dust settles, it is clear that whether critics like it or not, Clark's shadow and her fanbase's passion continue to loom large over the sport.