4-Time WNBA Champion's Strong 1-Word Caitlin Clark Verdict Speaks Volumes
If there's one woman who knows what it takes to achieve greatness on the basketball court, it's Cynthia Cooper.
During Cooper's incredible WNBA career, she won four consecutive league championships, four Finals MVP awards, two WNBA MVP awards, and was also a two-time NCAA champion. That makes for a stacked trophy case, and also earned her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
It's always cool to hear Cooper speaking about the state of women's basketball and the superstars in it. And during her appearance on a May 15 episode of the ALL THE SMOKE podcast with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Cooper sent a strong message about how she views Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark.
"Amazing," Cooper said when asked to describe Clark in one word.
She then added, "A beast. She is the truth. She’s the truth, and she was a rookie. [She can] knock down the three-pointer, get to the rim, she can get to the free throw line, she's crafty. Sometimes she looks like she's coming off for a three-point shot, then backdoors you for a layup.
"She gets her teammates involved, she can pass, she can shoot. She is the complete basketball player," Cooper continued of Clark.
“one word to describe caitlin clark.”
— cc akgae (@clrkszn) May 15, 2025
cynthia cooper: “amazing. a beast. she is the truth. she’s the truth, and she was a rookie — she can pass, she can shoot, she is the complete basketball player.”
🫡 pic.twitter.com/rhI03ok3GF
It's always cool to hear a WNBA legend like Cooper giving Clark her flowers, especially because others have been hesitant to do so in the past.
We imagine Cooper will be tuned in when Clark's Fever squad take on the Chicago Sky on Saturday, May 17.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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