Dawn Staley Says It’s Fair To Critique Caitlin Clark — Even If Some Fans Don’t Like It

Caitlin Clark has brought millions of new fans to women’s basketball. But according to Dawn Staley, not all of them understand how the game works. 

During an appearance this week on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast, the South Carolina women's basketball head coach had a lot to say about Clark’s rapid rise to fame and the intense scrutiny surrounding her game.

Staley, who faced Clark twice in the NCAA Tournament, acknowledged her impact and talent, but also pushed back on the growing expectation that everyone must speak about Clark in glowing terms only.

"She’s quite incredible, quite an anomaly when it comes to how many eyeballs she’s bringing on the game," Staley said. "And the newness of those eyeballs — they only want her to do well. Only want you to speak very highly of her. Only, you know, want you to agree with what they agree with. And that’s kind of hard."

Hard, because in Staley’s words, "we’re critics to everyone that plays the game. We’re critics. It is part of the fabric of sports. It’s part of athletics. It’s the competition. That’s what we do."

Dawn Staley explained what makes Caitlin Clark great — and what makes her vulnerable, too.

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Clark’s elite passing ability is what stood out most to Staley — more than the logo threes or flashy highlights. 

"For me, the most dangerous thing of Caitlin Clark is her passing ability," she said. "Her ability to make other people better, and her ability to have other people’s production along with her production. That’s how you win."

That’s exactly what Staley’s team focused on stopping in the 2024 national championship.

"We said Caitlin Clark’s gonna get 30. She can’t have 12 assists. Because if she’s got 12 assists, then she’s involving her teammates in a way that doesn’t quite add up," Staley said. "We can’t produce enough points like they can, and it’s probably easy points. It’s not even — they’re probably layups. Those 12 assists are probably layups."

RELATED: Dawn Staley Says Caitlin Clark Might Have Made Team USA Olympic Roster If They Were Picking Now

Clark’s willingness to take risks — particularly as a passer — also opens the door for opponents to exploit her.

"She’s a risk taker when it comes to passing the ball, so she’ll turn the ball over some," Staley said. "And that’s a great thing if you’re her opposition."

Still, pointing out those flaws can be seen as disrespectful by fans who view Clark as untouchable. That, Staley suggested, says more about the audience than the player.

"You want to highlight Caitlin Clark for what she does well," she said. "But if you are her opponent, you want to zero in on the things that she doesn’t do well, right?"

Clark herself likely understands that better than anyone. As Kelce put it, she’s probably on a mission "to try and eliminate those weaknesses herself."

And so far, she's doing a damn good job.