Charles Barkley rips WNBA players over their treatment of Caitlin Clark

November 23, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Turner Sports sportscaster Charles Barkley before The Match: Tiger vs Phil golf match at Shadow Creek Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley is critical of the way WNBA players have treated fellow player, Caitlin Clark.

Barkley appeared on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” for an episode that was published on Wednesday. During the episode, Barkley ripped WNBA players for targeting Clark with negative behavior.

"They cannot have f—ed this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried."

Charles Barkley sounds off against some of the WNBA media's negative narratives that have surrounded Caitlin Clark this season.@BillSimmons pic.twitter.com/GrWbY5xiB4

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“These ladies, and I’m a WNBA fan, they could not have f–ked this Caitlin Clark any worse if they tried,” Barkley said. “This girl is incredible. The number of attention, eyeballs she’s brought to college and the pros, and for these women to have this petty jealousness — you saying to yourself, ‘Damn, what is going on here?’ And the thing I love about her, she never says a word. But these ladies, who I love and respect their game, they couldn’t have f–ked this thing up any worse.

“There’s been so much negativity, and a lot of is just petty jealousness.”

Barkley is hardly alone in his opinion.

Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft this year and already has her Indiana Fever in the playoffs. She’s set WNBA rookie records for three-pointers made and assists. But throughout her rookie season, opponents have seemingly gone out of their way to attack Clark on the court. Clark was even left off the women’s Olympics basketball team, a decision that looks more inexplicable by the day.

Maybe opponents will eventually chill out when it comes to their treatment of Clark, but for now, she has been targeted, and Barkley thinks the behavior is stupid.