Sue Bird Says Caitlin Clark Will 'Get Better' at Speaking on Important Issues

WNBA legend Sue Bird anticipates seeing growth from Caitlin Clark when speaking out about prevalent issues in the sport and society.

Jul 12, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former WNBA player Sue Bird arrives on the red carpet before the 2023 ESPYS at the Dolby Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Even Caitlin Clark's biggest critics would have to admit that it's tough finding things about her that are unlikable or need improvement.

However, perhaps the most commonly mentioned negative sentiment regarding the 22-year-old is her hesitancy to speak out on important issues, such as prevalent social justice matters.

Clark appeared to shut this narrative down when speaking with Time as part of a December 10 article that was released in tandem with her winning 2024 Athlete of the Year.

And Clark addressing these past criticisms head-on is exactly what WNBA legend Sue Bird seemingly wanted to see from her, which she was quoted alluding to in the Time article.

“What comes with being a professional athlete is speaking on important issues,” four-time WNBA champion and five-time Olympic gold medalist Bird said of Clark in the article. “And so I imagine she's going to continue to educate and get better at that as well.

"In today's world, people will use you if you don’t speak about your own feelings and thoughts. So by getting more comfortable and confident in your voice, you can eliminate that,” she added.

While Bird's take is fair enough, it isn't necessarily shared by fellow WNBA legend Tamika Catchings.

“I know people want her to say more and do more, and I'm like, at 22 years old, how many of us have the skill set, have the ability to be able to communicate?” said Catchings, who spent her entire 15-season WNBA career with the Indiana Fever and whose franchise rookie scoring record Clark broke this year, in the article.

“[Clark is] a game changer on the court, but having to be a game changer off the court and get into the politics part of it, I don't know if that's her responsibility,” Catchings continued.

Caitlin Clark: “Professional players and professional coaches—this is no disrespect to college women's basketball—are a lot smarter” https://t.co/wemZ9rC0Zd

— TIME (@TIME) December 10, 2024

It's hard to imagine those who criticize Clark for not always speaking out ponder their capacity to discuss such polarizing issues when they were 22 years old.