In case you missed it, Caitlin Clark hate is cancelled. It's over, we're all moving on — or, at the very least, Nancy Lieberman has no time for it, especially from a retired NBA player she described as merely "serviceable." Those are fighting words, but Lieberman is more than up to the challenge.
In an interview shared by the BIG3 on Wednesday, Lieberman addressed comments Jeff Teague made about Clark at the end of July. "She good, but she not that good," Teague said of Clark before he later added, "The Indiana Fever are better without Caitlin Clark."
Lieberman begs to differ. "I don't agree with Jeff Teague," she explained, "who, I read something today, said that you know Caitlin Clark — she's just a good player, she's not a great player."
Nancy wants all the smoke!!Teague vs Caitlin 1v1? New episode out today @3sandones pic.twitter.com/4rAfBZhk6j
— BIG3 (@thebig3) August 6, 2025
"Jeff said that she's good but she not that good," she continued. "I love you; you weren't a great player, okay, you were serviceable," Lieberman said of Teague. "I know you made the All-Star team one time. Sorry: if we're gonna be honest, I'm happy for your career."
Teague appeared to be referencing Clark's shooting this season, something that has undoubtedly been impacted by the series of injuries she's suffered since the preseason. The Fever has learned to play with and without Clark on the court, and those injuries have also meant she hasn't had the time on the floor the rest of the team has had to gel together. The idea that the Fever is different with or without Clark is fair and even logical — but debates about whether or not the team is "better" are foolish and deliberately inflammatory (and are often designed to get clicks, attention, or a combination of both).
Clark is undisputedly a generational talent who is largely responsible for the swell of interest in the WNBA, the increase in viewership numbers, the money being poured into the league and related pursuits — she isn't the only driving force, but it's pretty incredible that only one player is responsible for 26.5% of league-wide economic activity.
And she's also just as good on the court. Sure, this season hasn't been her strongest, but that's because her talent has suffered — consecutive injuries would take anyone out of the game. When Clark returns at full health, she'll continue to be a force to be reckoned with (and based on what Lieberman had to say, will continue to perform at a level that Teague never touched throughout his own years in the NBA).