Caitlin Clark praised the Golden State Valkyries' rapid rise during an appearance on Kylie Kelce's podcast "Not Gonna Lie," but some WNBA fans interpreted her comments as more than straightforward admiration for the new champions.
A clip of the conversation surfaced Tuesday, three days after Golden State beat Angel Reese's Atlanta Dream to win its first WNBA championship in just its second season.
The Indiana Fever star recorded the episode before Game 7, Sports Illustrated reported , when Golden State was on the verge of its first championship.
She recalled Valkyries owner Joe Lacob promising a title within the franchise's first five years, a pledge he made three years ago before the team had played a game.
"I remember their owner … he literally said on stage, 'We're going to win a championship in five years or less,' and I was like, 'I love that!' And here we are, two years later, I'm like, 'Well, do I love that?' because I'm not playing, but they are," Clark said.
The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year immediately added, "But that's still awesome, good for them."
The remark caught the attention of fans, including one who wrote :
"She shading the Fever and Angel in one fell swoop here."
Clark and Reese entered the WNBA in the same draft class. While Indiana's season ended with a 94-83 Game 3 first-round loss to the Las Vegas Aces, Reese reached the Finals with Atlanta in her third WNBA season.
Some thought Clark might have been sending a message to Indiana's front office.
"Caitlin dog whistling to the Valkyries front office and Fever front office at the same time," one fan added .
The Fever have already made changes since their season ended. Indiana fired general manager Amber Cox last month, the same day team president Kelly Krauskopf announced she would step down.
"Fever are on the clock," another remarked .
One reaction questioned whether the three-time All-Star was truly happy about Golden State's success.
"She is jealous," the fan tweeted .
Clark also reflected on Golden State's championship run earlier in the podcast.
"I think the best part about this Finals series is that the Valkyries are in it," Clark said.
"Two years and to be playing in the Finals? That's a win in itself. Not many expansion teams can have those sort of expectations."
Golden State went on to fulfill Lacob's championship promise. Under coach Natalie Nakase, the Valkyries improved from a 23-win debut that ended in the first round to a 32-win season and the No. 2 seed.
They beat the Dallas Wings in three games before sweeping the Aces. No expansion team in WNBA history has won a title faster.
Golden State's championship breakthrough also led some fans to wonder what Clark might look like with the Valkyries.
"Does someone want to come to the Valkyries?" one asked .
Another fan made a more direct pitch :
"Hi, Caitlin. The Bay Area is great for Iowans, we do really well here. And the Hawkeyes are on a lot. Weather is September year-round."
Clark did not suggest on the podcast that she planned to leave Indiana. Her comments centered on how quickly Golden State had built a championship team, and she praised the standard Lacob had set for the franchise before its debut.
Clark's remarks gave fans another reason to debate Indiana's direction, even though she never directly criticized the organization or Reese.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
