Fans were certain that Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes would win it all after the Hawkeyes fell short against the LSU Tigers in the championship game. But as luck would have it, they were unable to overcome South Carolina, and Clark’s college career came to a close without an NCAA championship. Even with the basketball icon’s setback, NBA great Shaquille O’Neal had nothing but admiration for the 22-year-old player. That being said, there was a tinge of criticism mixed in with his nice remarks.
Shaquille O’Neal recently appeared as a guest on CNN’s Sir Charles Show alongside co-host Charles Barkley of Inside the NBA and Gayle King.
Shaquille O’Neal speaks about Caitlin Clark’s impact
While women’s basketball is in a good place, Gayle King said, both current and past players believed that the game had evolved significantly recently. King continued by asking Shaq if the gifted ladies in question were the reason for the transformation of the game. O’Neal responded by saying the following:
“Well, it was definitely what happened last year between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese…Caitlin Clark is a special player. She reminds me of a Steph Curry. A lot of times she takes those ill-advised shots that me and Chuck don’t like, but they go in. not only do they go in, they go in consistently.”
“And the way she plays the game, she’s the true definition of the great player. One that makes the players around her better. Not only was she making great shots, she was making great passes and she took her loss with humility.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrrLvXpmKo&t=180s
Though Shaquille O’Neal tucked a subtle jab at her shooting choice, it was part of a well-crafted remark that drew comparisons between Caitlin Clark and Stephen Curry—the man regarded as the best shooter of all time. Shaq continued by attributing the improvements in women’s basketball over the past year to both Clark and Angel Reese.