Caitlin Clark had her share of doubters coming into the WNBA and Shaquille O’Neal was one of them.
As an LSU alum, Shaq rode for Angel Reese over her March Madness rival and even signed the former Tigers forward to Reebok as the president of the brand’s basketball division.
O’Neal admitted that he felt he had to be Team Angel over Team Caitlin due to his ties to the university. But in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the Hall of Fame big man revealed that Clark’s play had made him just as big of a fan.
“[Caitlin] does everything right,” Shaq told the publication. “I never spoke about her [before] because [Angel] is my girl but I can truthfully say — Caitlin Clark is for real. I’m watching her play and I’m trying to be upset but she makes the right pass, makes the right play. Girls try to beat her up and she doesn’t really complain. She’s a great one, even early on [in her career].”
“She’s the real deal,” O’Neal concluded. “Much respect to her and her family and the way she grew up and the way she plays. All little girls should watch all the WNBA players play but those two [Clark and Reese] are my favorite.”
Clark has changed basketball life for the Indiana Fever — lifting them into the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and posting some of the best numbers in The W right now.
Her impact hasn’t just been limited to her team either. College basketball’s all-time leading scorer is netting the WNBA record ratings seemingly every game she plays and merchandise sales have gone up a reported 500% this season.
