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Sheryl Swoopes Will Always Have Caitlin Clark Beat In This Stat

WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes will always have this record over Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
Grant Young|
Texas Tech alumna Sheryl Swoopes attends the Alumni Weekend at the Texas Tech game against Baylor, Saturday, Jan. 28,, 2023, at United Supermarkets Arena.
Texas Tech alumna Sheryl Swoopes attends the Alumni Weekend at the Texas Tech game against Baylor, Saturday, Jan. 28,, 2023, at United Supermarkets Arena. | Annie Rice / Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the most unexpected (and disheartening) storylines of this WNBA season is women's basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes' apparent refusal to credit Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark for her staggering success.

There are been multiple examples of this (which have all been well-covered by sports media) that have caused Swoopes to try and defend herself by sharing private text messages between her and Clark, and which has cost her a friendship with sports broadcaster Nancy Lieberman.

While Swoopes hasn't mentioned anything regarding Clark in recent weeks, the two were connected once more when Clark scored a WNBA career-high 35 points during a win over the Dallas Wings on September 15.

This was notable because Clark's 35 points was more than Swoopes ever scored in a single WNBA game across her 12-season WNBA career.

While this brought Clark's passionate fanbase some joy, a stat that has surfaced on social media may regain Swoopes some respect.

On Tuesday, X user @trendyhoopstars posted a picture of Swoopes during her time playing at Texas Tech, which included the caption, "Most Points Scored by a WCBB Player in a National Championship Game:

1. Sheryl Swoopes — 47 points

Swoopes led Texas Tech to victory in the championship that year! ✨ "

This post appears to be a response to the aforementioned references to Clark surpassing Swoopes' single-game WNBA scoring record a few days ago.

For reference, Clark scored 30 points in both the 2023 NCAA National Championship game against LSU and the 2024 NCAA National Championship game against South Carolina.

While Swoopes will forever hold this record over Clark, the 22-year-old appears poised to produce a WNBA career that will overshadow anything she and Swoopes did in college.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.

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