Stephen A. Smith and UCLA Coach Embrace ‘Wrestle’ Around Caitlin Clark Debate

The resistance of some to welcome Caitlin Clark's impact within the women's basketball community was discussed by Stephen A. Smith and UCLA head coach Cori Close.

Feb 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close during an NCAA basketball game against the USC Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Despite the fact that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark hasn't competed in a WNBA game in close to five months, she's still a central topic of discussion among the women's basketball community on December 9.

One example of this was A'ja Wilson speaking about the narrative that Clark's star power (and the ensuing rise in popularity women's basketball has experienced because of it) could be construed as taking shine away from all the players that came before Clark as part of the feature story on Wilson after she won Time Athlete of the Year in 2025.

Sep 18, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shown on the court against the Atlanta Dream during the first half during game three of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith and Cori Close Speak on Caitlin Clark's Impact

A similar topic was discussed by Stephen A. Smith and UCLA women's basketball head coach Cori Close during a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, which was shown through an Instagram post that Smith's show made on December 9. Although these two seem to have a different stance than Wilson.

"I'm all for the WNBA players getting paid. I'm a big supporter of them, and I want them to get all that they deserve. And all that they did to help uplift the game," Stephen A. Smith said. "The flip side to it is that I'm a Caitlin Clark fan. And I'm not talking about just her as a player. I'm talking about the marketing wizardry that comes associated with her.

"I believe in that saying, 'A rising tide lifts all boats.' And even though I'm certainly not speaking about most or all, there were some that were resistant to the impact that she was bringing to the WNBA. And I'm like, 'You're not seeing the picture.' That's where I was coming from," Smith added. He then posed to Close, "Was I wrong in feeling that way?"

"I don't think you were wrong. I actually had the opportunity to coach Caitlin Clark in USA basketball. Even back then, she has a charisma about her that's infectious around everyone she comes in contact with," Close responded. "I think that you have to have a broader view of growing the game, if you're going to really appreciate it, as you referred to. The reality is, is Caitlin Clark has risen [to] a level of fan base that has broadened it, has deepened it, that we are all benefiting from.

"Some of the tensions that have gone back and forth, I'm like, 'Great, bring it on!" I just think that is awesome. And let us wrestle. Let’s be good in the wrestle. Let’s build each other up. I think there’s such a thing in that case of, there’s no bad publicity or exposure," Close added.

It's always nice to hear people in the sports realm welcoming what Clark has brought to women's basketball rather than spurning it.