Cari Champion Accuses WNBA Of Giving Caitlin Clark 'Special Treatment'

There seem to be two sides to the debate of how Caitlin Clark is treated in the WNBA.

Some - Clark fans - seem to think that the league's referees do not call as many fouls against her opponents as they should. Those fans believe that the WNBA and its players are somewhat out to get the former No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick. They think there's some jealously and hatred spewed toward Clark because of her popularity.

The other group, meanwhile, seems to think that Clark gets too much favorable treatment, both from the league and its referees.

Cari Champion is in that group. The former ESPN host accused the WNBA of giving Caitlin Clark "special treatment" this week.

Champion believes that Clark has received special treatment from the league's referees and the front offices.

"That type of blatant favoritism annoys the (expletive) out of me," Champion said Wednesday on her Flagrant & Funny podcast.

"I don't know if this is her fault, because I think it might be unfair for me to say that this is her fault. But at the same time, it's like, why is she getting this special treatment? And it just is, yet again, another example of the league and its fans… being so precious with her."

Champion is a bit fed up with what she's seeing

"The more we get to catch these glimpses of Caitlin Clark, I'm like, ‘I don't like you. I don't like the way you behave on the court,'" Champion said, per Awful Announcing.

"And the league is positioning you to be its superstar because you are, and with leadership comes certain responsibility. And if you don't want that responsibility, I understand that. But the way that you behave, this entitlement, the way you are talking to your coaches… you enjoy that. So if that's what you enjoy, if you want to be the villain, if you want to be the tough person … then let it be. Because we're coming at you the same way we could come at anyone else. And her fans need to recognize that. Like, she chooses that behavior."

Ultimately, Champion does not believe that the WNBA is handling things the right way.

"I think the league is not handling her well," Champion said. "I don't think coddling her behind the scenes is going to create what they think it's going to create."

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 6:52 AM.