Caitlin Clark and Sue Bird (Photos via Getty Images and @SarahSpain/X)

WNBA legend Sue Bird has discussed the perceived hate Caitlin Clark has had to deal with ahead of the rookie’s first All-Star Game appearance.

Clark, an All-Star in her first season, didn’t seem to receive a warm welcome after the Indiana Fever made her the No. 1 overall pick in April. However, Bird thinks most people misinterpreted the message they got from the league’s veterans.

The former Seattle Storm star was a guest on the new ‘Good Game with Sarah Spain’ podcast this week and insisted that players were only showing their competitive side.

“Caitlin will go down as, whatever you want to call it, the one who made the change, this pivotal person,” Bird said.

“She will, 100 percent. But in other leagues … it was never like when LeBron (James) came, ‘Oh, Michael Jordan didn’t matter.’ And for some reason that happened, and it caused this whole thing. When the reality was, no player felt that way toward Caitlin, everybody was very welcoming and inviting, and they mistook competitive talk for hate, with hating on somebody. 

“There is a thin line there, and some people do both, but I think the majority of WNBA players, with their play, with their talk, it was just competition.”

Things Have Calmed Down Around Caitlin Clark

The storm around Caitlin Clark seems to have abated in recent times. She isn’t making the news for receiving hard fouls or some veteran taking a shot at her. Most of the chatter pertains to the Rookie of the Year race with her rival Angel Reese.

The former Iowa guard heads into the All-Star and Olympic break, averaging 17.1 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.8 rebounds again, with the Fever also playing a lot better lately.

She also just broke the WNBA’s record for the most assists in a single game with 19.

Fans are looking forward to seeing how she handles her first All-Star appearance.