He may not be playing again by the end of the summer, but Skip Bayless isn’t letting that possibility affect his opinion of Caitlin Clark. He says he’s baffled by the WNBA star’s decision to pull out of the All-Star 3-point contest.
On Saturday, the 72-year-old host of the Fox Sports talk show “Undisputed” posted a message on social media, just 24 hours after Allisha Grey of the Atlanta Dream emerged victorious in a close match against Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty in Arizona.
Bayless posted on X: ‘Surprised and disappointed that Caitlin Clark did not participate in last night’s 3-point contest.
“She’s the ‘Steph Curry of women’s basketball.'” But she said she’s been playing nonstop for a year and it’s hard to just show up and hit the ground running.
“LeBronesque with the Dunk Contest,” Bayless added in a dig at the LA Lakers star, a four-time NBA champion.
Skip Bayless went after Caitlin Clark after she pulled out of WNBA All-Star 3-point contest
The 71-year-old NBA analyst even described Clark as the ‘Steph Curry of women’s basketball’
He also hit out at Lakers star LeBron James for opting out of the dunk contest in the past
Clark wasn’t the only big name to sit out the WNBA’s All-Star 3-point contest. Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu did the same.
Ionescu, who declined to explain her decision, did compete in the event last year and even competed against Steph Curry in the NBA competition.
“Honestly, I think I just need to rest,” Clark said when asked about her decision to withdraw from Friday night’s All-Star 3-point contest in Phoenix. “I’ve been playing basketball for a year straight.”
She continued, “That’s not something you can just do and shoot off a rack. It’s not something I’ve ever done before. It’s not something I’ve had a lot of time to practice.
“So I’m just enjoying this break. I think at some point there will be a lot of opportunities for me to do this.”
Allisha Gray, of the Atlanta Dream, ultimately won the All-Star 3-point contest on Friday night
Clark watched from the sidelines with teammate Aaliyah Boston and other WNAB players
Clark did compete in the short distance event, but lost to longtime rival Angel Reese, who is also a contender for the Rookie of the Year Award.
As for Bayless, his future in the media appears uncertain after both Stephen A. Smith and his employer, ESPN, distanced themselves from him.
Bayless and Smith once worked together for several years on the network’s show “First Take,” until the former left for Fox Sports in 2016.
“Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, working together as partners, opposite each other on a debate show, is over. It’s over,” Smith said on his YouTube channel this week.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve said it. There’s no negativity or shade to be seen with Skip Bayless. I’ve moved on.”