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Rick Pitino's 'Weak' Caitlin Clark Comment Turns Heads

College basketball coaching legend Rick Pitino delivered an interesting verdict on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Grant Young|
Mar 19, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino speaks to the media during a press conference at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Mar 19, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino speaks to the media during a press conference at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Despite her only being 23 years old, those who understand the sport of basketball know just how much Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark has meant to the game's growth.

This started during her historic run at the University of Iowa and has continued on to her time playing in the WNBA. Even when Clark is sidelined due to injury, she gets more attention for being off of the court than just anybody anyone else gets when they're playing.

Clark has clearly caught the attention of legendary college basketball coach Rick Pitino, who is a two-time NCAA champion and has a staggering 885 career wins as a college coach.

Pitino was a guest on a June 25 episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd. And at one point in the interview, Pitino shared his sentiment about Clark.

"Well, she's a great passer. She reminds me of Steph Curry, when Steph Curry came into the league," Pitino said when Cowherd asked him what about Clark's game makes him say "Wow", per an X post from Cowherd's show. "She is doing what Steph did early on. She has unbelievable range, she has great vision, she's a terrific passer.

"You know, she's physically a little weak. She'll get stronger as time goes on," Pitino continued. "But she really understands how to play, and reminds me of a female version of Steph Curry. Incredible range."

Despite Pitino calling Clark "weak", he clearly is a big fan of what she brings to the basketball court. He'll surely be as eager as the rest of the basketball world to see when Clark returns to the court from her groin injury.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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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