ESPN's Rebecca Lobo Claims There Isn't Any 'Jealousy Or Pettiness' With How Caitlin Clark Is Being Treated

Caitlin Clark has been hip-checked to the floor in a non-basketball play by Chennedy Carter and multiple veterans around the league have been open about the former Iowa star having to earn her stripes in the WNBA. It's abundantly clear that Clark is getting not-so-special treatment as a rookie who is already the face of the league, but ESPN's Rebecca Lobo doesn't exactly see it that way.

Every step Clark has taken since joining the WNBA has been over-analyzed, but for good reason. She is why the casual sports fan is paying any attention whatsoever to the WNBA this season, and some players around the league can't accept that reality.

Carter hip-checking Clark to the floor then saying she didn't regret the play, Angel Reese claiming she's playing a major role in the league's new-found popularity when the numbers don't support her claim, or A'ja Wilson openly admitting that she thinks the only reason Clark is getting attention is because she is white are just three of the many, many examples of the narrative surrounding Clark.

Lobo, like many of her co-workers, has elected to take a stab at shutting down the narrative of there being some WNBA players having a seriously ill will towards Clark.

"It's a false narrative, and I don't think there is any jealousy or pettiness that is fueling dirty play," Lobo said, with a straight face. "Now, is the attention she's getting on the defensive end unprecedented for a rookie? It absolutely is."

"Are veterans being physical with her? They are, but I have not seen anything excessive or anything dirty until that Chennedy Carter hit, and that was one of the things that was really unfortunately about it to me. Chennedy gave a previously toothless arguments some fangs."

So, to recap, Lobo thinks that Carter's cheapshot on Clark was dirty, but the dirty play doesn't fall into the narrative that there is any pettiness involved in how she's being treated on the floor.

Make it make sense.

The mental gymnastics the talking heads at ESPN have had to go through because they can't seem to be able to give Clark the credit for the WNBA's newfound fame, despite knowing she deserves every last bit of it, while trying to promote other players who don't measure up to Clark has been quite the spectacle.