Who’s the best WNBA player? Within a matter of seconds, any basketball fan would say Caitlin Clark. Caitlin is yet to hit the WNBA court for a regular season game, but she’s already shaking up the scene. How? Well, she was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, captivating the audience every step of the way. Despite this and her accolades, Charles Barkley has his reservations about her.

A couple of months ago, she sparked a frenzy, revolutionizing deals and ticket sales for the Indiana Fever franchise. Even though she was the apple of the spectators’ eyes, basketball legends weren’t quite sure about her performance on the court. “When I first saw the WNBA TV schedule, the first thing I said was, oh, shit. I said, there’s going to be a negative impact, blowback from players, from media,” said Charles in a recent episode of a podcast.

But this is just a glimpse of ‘Sir Charles’ insights into Caitlin Clark. In a recent episode uploaded on the official account of The Steam Room with the title – No Caller ID + “the guys upstairs” – Charles Barkley sat with Ernie Johnson to discuss the ongoing scenario in women’s basketball. “So, Caitlin Clark, you know I’m a big Caitlin Clark fan. We all are,” Barkley added later in the same episode.

USA Today via Reuters

But why did ‘Sir Charles’ have different thoughts about Caitlin before?

Charles Barkley on Caitlin Clark

This too is answered by Barkley in the episode itself. He continued, “None that she had in it because of the number of games that she had a fever on. You would think that people who run the WNBA would be smart enough to know that there was going to be blowback. And I understand because you have the Aces who have been two-time defending champs.”

But he didn’t stop there. He also opened up about how he wanted things to happen. He added, “So, I wish they would have been smarter not to put her in a position cause she’s a shining star. And I know you have to show her, and I think it’s important we show her, but I think that’s overkill in my personal opinion.”

Though things didn’t happen as per Barkley’s and Johnson’s expectations, Caitlin is in a good position. She’s already one of the highly anticipated prospects in the history of the WNBA who’s turning heads before even hitting the hardwood. Now, the question is – Will Caitlin be able to keep up with the expectations of the spectators?