Sue Bird: The petty, jealous Caitlin Clark narrative started with my interview

WNBA legend Sue Bird said the narrative that fellow players are jealous of Fever rookie Caitlin Clark started with her and Diana Taurasi’s interview on “SportsCenter” before the 2024 season.This past WNBA season was unprecedented in viewership, revenue and attendance, which saw a meteoric rise buoyed by the 2024 rookie class, highlighted by Clark and Sky star Angel Reese.With that success came negative narratives that players were targeting Clark on the court with hard fouls due to jealousy.

“In some ways, it started with me and Diana and our show [“The Bird and Taurasi Show” on ESPN] getting interviewed by [ESPN host] Scott Van Pelt and Diana having her response,” Bird said on her and fiancee Megan Rapinoe’s “A Touch More” podcast.“It’s another moment where things get taken onto social media and they just grow and people spew and it turns into something you can’t even recognize in 24 hours,” Bird said.Bird was referring to an April interview during which Van Pelt asked Taurasi what was in store for the rookie class entering the league — and the Mercury Star said “reality is coming” and that there would be a transition period for Clark.

“Where I have 100 percent landed is, once Diana’s comments went viral, it led to the Twitter trolls and bots taking over,” Bird said.“And what started there was this narrative of petty, jealous players, hating on Caitlin.“That’s really what happened.

That’s where it started — that we must just really must dislike her, that we look at her side-eyed, that we don’t want her to come in the WNBA and be successful, that we’re hating on her.So, we’re petty and jealous.“And from there when we get to the start of the WNBA season this is already planted in people’s heads.

This already exists.And when the games start and the play is physical, which it always is… “… The coverage of Caitlin coming out of college, Angel Reese as well, and going into the WNBA, we as WNBA player...