Colin Cowherd's Caitlin Clark 'Next Level' Take Doesn't Make Sense
A comment that sports media personality Colin Cowherd made about Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark on May 18 is raising eyebrows.
"Rookie sensation, year two, last year, she's hurt. Year three, okay, her stats are great again. When is she gonna start winning at the next level? She has not won a playoff series yet. And so, my take is, she has her [Scottie] Pippen. Kelsey Mitchell was a player that got some MVP votes. This is not hating on Caitlin Clark. But the stage of 'Wow, who's the new kid?' I'm done with that," Cowherd said on "The Herd", per an X post from Awful Announcing.
He then compared Clark to Taylor Swift before saying, "This is great. I see the stats. She shoots from a long way away from the basket. That is awesome. But there are stages to greatness. And I have always felt [that] her game is Steph [Curry]. I think she has a chance to be [Michael] Jordan-esque, which is multiple championships if she can get the right coach and the right running mate," he added.
"But she hasn't even won a playoff game, not a series. Now, again: First year, bad team. Last year, they built it around her, she was hurt, a little bit better team. This team should buy for the championship. If she is what I think she is. If not, [they should] get very, very close."
"When is she gonna start winning at the next level? She has not won a playoff series yet. My take is, she has her Pippen, Kelsey Mitchell…
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 18, 2026
"This is not hating on Caitlin Clark, but the stage of 'Wow, who's the new kid?' I'm done with that." - Colin Cowherd on Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/wg9VsTL383
While Cowherd (who has championed Clark plenty of times in the past) somewhat redeemed himself at the end by talking about how much of a superstar No. 22 is, that doesn't detract from the illogical take he had about her not yet winning in the postseason with Indiana.
Why Colin Cowherd's Stance About Caitlin Clark Not Winning Enough is Asinine
Cowherd refuted his own argument during these comments. Clark has only been in the WNBA for two postseasons. In the first one, she carried a mediocre Fever roster to the postseason as a rookie, and only had two postseason games (both of which were on the road) against a Connecticut Sun team that was a true WNBA championship contender.
Those are the only two postseason games Clark has played in. She was injured during the Fever's run in the 2025 postseason. Why should she be at fault for being injured during those postseason wins?
Perhaps if Clark doesn't win a game in the postseason this year, then Cowherd's take will make more sense. But still, she's in the early stages of her WNBA career.
Nobody judges Michael Jordan's career from his first two seasons. Practice patience, Colin.
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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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