‘Stay away from her’: LeBron James defends Caitlin Clark as Iowa fall in NCAA final

LeBron James defended Caitlin Clark on Sunday shortly before her Iowa team lost to South Carolina in the NCAA championship game.

“If you don’t rock the game Caitlin Clark you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!! Stay far away from those people!! PLEASE,” James wrote on X when the game started.

It was unclear who James was referring to, but a number of current and former players had questioned Clark’s legacy in the lead-up to the match.

Clark broke Lynette Woodard’s record for career points in major women’s basketball earlier this season. But images of Woodard emerged, which played in the late 1970s and early 1980s and questioned Clark’s record. Woodard played before the introduction of three-point shots at a time when the ball was bigger in the women’s game.

“I don’t think my record has been broken because you can’t duplicate what you don’t duplicate,” Woodard said. “Unless you come with a men’s basketball and a two-point shot, hey…”

Woodard also praised Clark, telling ESPN in February: “I think she’s a great player. I would like to meet her.”

Another former player, Diana Taurasi, said Clark could struggle when she joins the pros. Clark will almost certainly be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.

“Reality is setting in… you look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come play with some grown women who have been playing professional basketball for a long time,” said the 10-time WNBA All- Star on ESPN on Friday. ‘I’m not saying it won’t be translated. Because if you’re good at what you do, you’re only going to get better, but there’s going to be a transition period where you have to give some grace as a rookie. For some people it may take a little longer.”

Basketball hall of fame Sheryl Swoopes apologized to Clark earlier this year after falsely saying the Iowa star’s achievements mattered less because she had five years in college to achieve them. Clark actually played four years in college.

“If Kelsey Plum set that record in four years, then Caitlin should have broken that record in four years,” Swoopes said. “But because there’s a Covid year, and then there’s another year, you know what I mean? So she already has an extra year to break that record. Is it really a broken record? Don’t know. I do not think so. But yes, that will go down in the record books. And I don’t think it should be that way.”

Meanwhile, two-time WNBA champion Breanna Stewart said earlier this month that Clark would only be considered the greatest college player in history if she won a national title.

“Yes, she does (needs a title). I think so,” said the New York Liberty star. “You’re going to look back 10 years and you see all the records she broke, points and stuff like that, but everyone knows that when you play college basketball, your goal is to win a national championship. So you need one.”

Clark scored 30 points in Iowa’s loss to undefeated South Carolina on Sunday as their coach, Dawn Staley, captured her third national title with the Gamecocks. Staley is not among Clark’s critics.

“Personally, I would like to thank Caitlin Clark for taking our sport to the next level. She has carried a heavy burden for our sport,” Staley said. “She’s going to take that league (WNBA) to the next level as well. Caitlin Clark, if you’re there, you’re one of the GOATS of our game. We appreciate you.”