Shannon Sharpe took aim at Skylar Diggins-Smith after the Seattle Storm guard took a blatant cheap shot at Caitlin Clark following the Indiana Fever’s 92-75 win on Sunday.
Clark was firing up Fever fans on the floor when a video showed Diggins-Smith, a six-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, power walk in her direction and give her an intentional bump.
The incident was reminiscent of the several instances throughout this season in which WNBA players were taking blatant and intentional shots at the rookie sensation and sparking outcries from fans labeling them jealous and “petty.”
Clark, as she often does in these situations, ignored the incident and continued about her business.
Speeding up your walk to intentionally make contact with Caitlin Clark is next level petty from Skylar Diggins-Smith pic.twitter.com/LK1zUiW1OC
— Lee Parayno (@leeparayno) August 19, 2024
Shannon Sharpe Torches Skylar Diggins-Smith For Cheap Shot On Caitlin Clark
Shannon Sharpe was borderline apoplectic over the incident involving Skylar Diggins-Smith and Caitlin Clark.
“This been going on, Ocho,” Sharpe told co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
“If I’m Caitlin Clark, I would’ve told Skylar Diggins, ‘Get your coat, your brim, and get on out of our gym. Get your coat, your hat and leave!’…Y’all stop this foolishness,” he continued. “Y’all see the woman speed up? Y’all see her — Caitlin Clark is getting the crowd going, y’all see Skylar Diggins speed up to make contact with her? Stop this!”
“Y’all mad because that cornfed Iowa girl busting y’all […]!”
Sharpe’s commentary then shifted towards the WNBA players in general. And the sentiment that some of the top players claimed the Fever rookie’s game wouldn’t translate to the league.
“Y’all said, ‘She’s too weak. She can’t do this.’ She leads the WNBA in assists,” Sharpe added. “She’s cooking — let her cook. Let her cook! Let that girl cook!”
“Caitlin Clark is getting the crowd going. Y’all see Skylar Diggins speed up to make contact with her. Stop this!… Y’all mad because that cornfed Iowa girl busting y’all ass… [She’s] cooking. Let her cook!”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 19, 2024
Shannon Sharpe goes OFF on WNBA players 😳pic.twitter.com/CuOXOJiCmR
It Ain’t Hype
Sharpe continued his rant by criticizing those who thought Caitlin Clark wouldn’t live up to expectations, that she was simply the “great white hype.”
“It ain’t hype. Y’all keep talking […] about the ‘Great White hype,’ Ocho. They keep talking about — ain’t no hype,” Sharpe said. “Y’all said the same thing about Larry Bird. I remember. I’m old enough to remember. They said the same thing about Larry Bird. Ain’t nothing hype.”
He concluded the segment by describing Clark as “elite” and “the pinnacle at passing the basketball.”
Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA rookie assist record with nine assists against Skylar Diggins-Smith’s Seattle squad.
This isn’t the first time Sharpe has staunchly come to the defense of the rookie sensation, slamming Team USA for not naming her to the Olympic squad in Paris.
“So are we really trying to grow the game? Is that what we’re really trying to do?” he said. “Or are we just talking about ‘we’re trying to grow the game’ and just bull jiving?”
The women’s team barely scraped by France in the gold medal game as Diana Taurasi was benched after contributing very little throughout the team’s run.
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