Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was singing a different, more polite tune about Caitlin Clark after the rookie led the Indiana Fever to an upset win Sunday.
Before the game, Reeve caused a stir when a reporter asked her how she felt knowing that many of the fans at the Lynx home game would be cheering for the sensational rookie.
“I don’t give two sh*ts,” Reeve responded.
The reporter prodded her: “How about one?”
“Not even one sh*t,” Reeve responded.
Cheryl Reeve was blunt when asked about fans cheering for the opposing team in Indiana during a home game for the Lynx.
“Not even one s***.”#Lynx #WNBA pic.twitter.com/RxbMAKDcdw
— Andrew Cornelius (@AndrewCorn03) July 14, 2024
To be fair, Reeve might have been following the clichéd coaching strategy, “I’m just worried about my own team, we don’t need distractions, etc.” But many fans viewed the comments as a clear dig at Clark, exacerbated by the fact Reeve is head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team coach for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and opted to leave Clark off the team.
As almost anyone who understands fate, or karma, could have predicted, Clark had a big game. She scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to key a huge 81-74 upset win over the Lynx.
Also, as has been the case with Clark’s other road games this year, fans at the Target Center in Minneapolis made the arena sound almost like a Fever home game at times, wildly cheering her exploits.
This was a road game for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in Minnesota. Certainly didn’t sound like it.🏀 pic.twitter.com/Sn1j12eR4n
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) July 14, 2024
So after the game, a reporter asked Reeve what the league could do to encourage that type of enthusiastic environment at more WNBA games.
“I mean, I don’t know that I quite understand the question in that everybody knows that the reason why our teams around the league are having sellouts are because Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are coming to town,” Reeve said. “Angel Reese has impacted their attendance at the Chicago games. I suspect on the road as well. So what the league can do is be ready to capitalize on the moments, but it’s much like when we saw Bird and Magic come in the league, right.”
“The league has been building for a watershed moment and we’re here,” Reeve continued. “Now, you’ve got to take advantage of it. It’s beyond just kind of saying, OK, well the Indiana Fever and they’re selling out and you’re just sitting back and watching it. How, (what) other ways can you monetize and capitalize on it. That’s obviously a business-layered thing, but that’s how I think you could capitalize.”
As noted, while Reeve’s pre-game comments were not necessarily a direct shot at Clark, many fans thought they were. The veteran coach should have known better. No idea if those remarks inspired Clark in the game, but it’s probably not a good idea to give her any extra incentive.
