Sports
Caitlin Clark has already faced immense criticism at every turn 6 months into 2024
Caitlin Clark is at the center of the sports world as the calendar nears summertime and the heat is only getting turned up on the WNBA rookie.
The Indiana Fever sharpshooter was on the receiving end of a hard foul from Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter during Saturday’s matchup, which sparked a ton of drama and hot takes on social media and on the airwaves in the aftermath.
It has felt like since Clark was on the verge of breaking the NCAA all-time scoring record toward the end of her collegiate career at Iowa, all she has faced is negativity. The highest of highs have come with chainsaws to chop her down even before she took the floor for the Fever.
Here’s some of the tribulations Clark has faced over the last few months.
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First ‘reality check’
Sheryl Swoopes attends the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports at Cipriani Wall Street on October 12, 2023, in New York City. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for WSF)
While Clark was lighting up the stat sheet, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes said there was no way the Iowa standout would come into the league and perform the way she has.
“So, will Caitlin Clark be a good pro? Absolutely. Will Caitlin Clark come into the WNBA and do what she’s doing right now, immediately? Absolutely not. Not going to happen,” Swoopes said in part in January.
Swoopes later praised Clark’s accomplishments. But months later, Clark joined Sabrina Ionescu as the only players in league history to reach at least 100 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists in their first 10 games as a pro.
Didn’t break the scoring record
Lynette Woodard, previous holder of the women’s basketball all-time scoring record, in attendance during a women’s college basketball game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 3, 2024, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. (Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It was as clear as day. Clark broke Kelsey Plum’s mark for most points scored in a NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball career and then surpassed Lynnette Woodward’s mark, if you include the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) which predated the NCAA. She also tallied more points than Pete Maravich.
For whatever reason, Woodard said in April that she was the one who still held the record with 3,649 points in four seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks. Clark ended up finishing with 3,951 points.
“I am the hidden figure, but no longer now,” Woodard said before the national title game. “My record was hidden from everyone for 43 years. … I don’t think my record has been broken because you can’t duplicate what you’re not duplicating. So, unless you come with a men’s basketball and a 2-point shot, you know … but just for you, so you can understand, so you can help me spread that word.”
Two days later, Woodard acknowledged Clark as the record holder after backlash.
“Reality is coming”
Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury jokes around with Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces on her bench in the fourth quarter of their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Diana Taurasi, a legend in the WNBA, warned the game wasn’t going to come as easy to Clark as it did in college.
“Reality is coming,” she said on ESPN after the Hawkeyes’ tournament win over the Huskies. “You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.
“There is going to be a transition period where you’re going to have to give yourself some grace as a rookie.”
The reality is, Clark was the WNBA Rookie of the Month in her first month as a pro. Clark’s first regular-season game garnered 2.1 million viewers. It was the most watched WNBA game on ESPN platforms ever.
Doyel drama
Gregg Doyel, IndyStar sports columnist (Robert Scheer/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, but as soon as she met with the Indianapolis media, there was awkwardness.
Indy Star columnist Gregg Doyel made a heart with his hands before asking Clark a question. He asked whether she “liked that” and the weirdness ensued.
The strange interaction led to an apology from the columnist and the newspaper taking him off of the Fever beat for the season.
Race factor
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson speaks during the team’s media day on May 3, 2024. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Clark joined Breanna Stewart and Ionescu as the active WNBA players with signature shoe deals. The deal sparked a debate over why Clark, who didn’t play a game at that point, received the deal, with race becoming a main talking point.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson lent her voice to the Clark discussion. She denied in April that she was jealous of Clark. But she did end up saying that race played a part in her popularity.
“It really is because you can be top-notch at what you are as a Black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don’t want to see,” Wilson said at the time. “They don’t see it as marketable, so it doesn’t matter how hard I work. It doesn’t matter what we all do as Black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug. That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is.”
But Wilson ended up changing her tune.
“She’s learning and growing like everyone else. I feel like people don’t give her a chance,” she said. “We tell our rookies every single day, this is new. You’re coming into a whole other new world and starting over. So, these questions are only annoying because she’s young. She’s a rookie. You keep asking us these questions as if she’s a grown-ass woman that’s been in this league for years. No, she’s doing her job. We’re doing ours and at the end of the day, that’s how we grow, is when we get better and do things like that.”
“I’m just exhausted over the conversation because I know she’s exhausted. I can only imagine.”
‘Pretty privilege’
Sunny Hostin suggests Caitlin Clark’s popularity is part of “White” and “pretty” privilege. (Screenshot/ABC/TheView)
As the season has worn on, the Clark discussion reached the desk of “The View.” Co-host Sunny Hostin argued that “White privilege” and “pretty privilege” played a role in her popularity.
“I do think that there is a thing called pretty privilege. There is a thing called White privilege. There is a thing called tall privilege, and we have to acknowledge that, and so part of it is about race, because if you think about the Brittney Griners of the world, why did she have to go to play in Russia? Because they wouldn’t pay her,” Hostin said
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said she’d become a fan of the WNBA because Clark was “so fun to watch,” adding that it had nothing to do with her skin color. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg argued that Hostin and herself have been trying to bring attention to the WNBA for years.
Chennedy Carter foul
Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter (7) is whistled for a flagrant foul for knocking Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark to the ground on June 1, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Everything came to a head on Saturday when Carter hip-checked Clark to the ground during the Sky’s 71-70 loss. The foul was later upgraded to a flagrant-1 violation.
Carter refused to take Clark questions but offered critical takes about her on social media.
“… that’s that on that cause beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man,” Carter wrote.
Carter spoke to reporters on Monday and expressed that she has no regrets over anything that happened.
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Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
Thousand-dollar tickets and hundreds of dollars in fees shocked some hopeful Olympic fans this month, but they did not keep LA28 from boasting strong sales in the committee’s first ticket drop.
LA28 announced Thursday that it sold more than 4 million Olympic tickets during the first ticket drop. The private organizing committee will have a second ticket drop in August with “refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price points.”
But after the popularity of the first purchasing period, many of the lower-priced tickets have already been scooped up.
LA28 said roughly half of the total 1 million $28 tickets were sold during the locals presale, which was limited to people living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.
The average price per Olympic ticket is less than $200, which includes a mandatory 24% service fee, and LA28 said about 75% of all tickets, including final events, will be under $400. The premier seats at high-demand events command more than $1,000 per ticket, but the highest priced categories make up about 5% of the total ticket inventory.
Artistic gymnastics sold out the quickest in Drop 1. Four new Olympic sports — flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash — sold all their available inventory for the first drop. After five days of local presale, global ticket sales opened and drew fans from 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories. The largest international sales came from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.
For the first female-majority Olympic Games, LA28 reported that women’s Olympic sessions outsold men’s 93% to 88% during the first drop.
“The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic. Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games,” LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “The success of Drop 1 is about more than momentum — it reflects LA28’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible Games that create a lasting legacy for Los Angeles and its communities.”
Drop 2, which will begin in August, will have additional tickets across all Olympic sports, including those that may have sold out during the first purchasing windows. The registration period for Drop 2 opened Thursday and will continue until July 22. Fans who registered for the first drop of tickets but did not receive a time slot and fans who did not buy their maximum 12 general ticket allotment will automatically be entered into the random lottery Drop 2. The new registration period is only required for anybody who did not sign up for the initial drop.
Fans are still limited to 12 Olympic tickets and up to 12 soccer tickets that don’t count toward the general maximum. There is a four ticket per ceremony limit for the opening and closing ceremony that count toward the 12-ticket maximum, which is cumulative across all LA28 presales and ticket drops.
LA28 will have multiple ticket drops with assigned purchasing time slots before ticket sales move to a first-come, first-served format closer to the Games, which open on July 14, 2028. LA28 began its ticketing process earlier than most other Olympic Games with tickets going on sale more than two years in advance of the opening ceremony. The early timeline has created excitement for the first Summer Olympics in the United States since Atlanta 1996, but also prompted concerns about scheduling. Fans clamored for tickets with little information about which teams or athletes would be competing in most sessions.
Tickets are not refundable, but fans can opt for verified resale when LA28 launches its official resale system in 2027. AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.
LA28 will have 14 million tickets available for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would eclipse the record of 12 million tickets sold for the Paris Games. Paris 2024 sold an about 9.5 million tickets for the Olympics, but used a different ticket system than LA28. For Paris, 3.5 million tickets were sold during the first phase, during which fans were required to buy tickets to at least three different sports instead of the option for single-event tickets available during LA28’s Drop 1 process.
Tickets for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be the first in L.A.’s history, will go on sale in 2027. Ticket sales and hospitality are expected to cover about $2.5 billion of LA28’s expected $7.1 billion budget for the first Games in L.A. in more than 40 years.
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An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.
United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.
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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.
“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.
All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.
Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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