She may not have a schedule for later this summer, but Skip Bayless won’t let that possibility dampen his opinions of Caitlin Clark, as he claimed to be stunned by the WNBA star’s decision to withdraw from the All-Star 3-point contest.
On Saturday, the 72-year-old host of Fox Sports’ “Undisputed” talk show took to social media just 24 hours after the Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Grey emerged victorious from a hard-fought duel against the New York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones in Arizona.
Bayless posted on X: ‘I’m shocked and disappointed that Caitlin Clark didn’t participate in last night’s 3-point contest.
“She’s the ‘Steph Curry of women’s basketball,'” but she said she’s been playing for a year straight and it’s hard to just show up and shoot.
“LeBronesque in the dunk contest,” Bayless added in a criticism of the four-time NBA champion LA Lakers star.
Skip Bayless attacked Caitlin Clark after she pulled out of the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest
The 71-year-old NBA analyst even described Clark as the “Steph Curry of women’s basketball.”
He also criticized Lakers star LeBron James for opting out of the dunk contest in the past.
Clark wasn’t the only big name left out of the WNBA All-Star Game’s 3-point contest, as Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu did the same.
Ionescu, who offered no explanation for her decision, participated in last year’s event and even faced Steph Curry in the NBA equivalent of the competition.
“Honestly, I think the best thing to do is to rest,” Clark said when asked about his decision to withdraw from the All-Star Game 3-point contest on Friday night in Phoenix. “I’ve been playing basketball for a year straight.”
She continued: ‘It’s not an easy thing to do, just show up and take a photo. It’s not something I’ve done before. It’s not something I’ve had a lot of time to practice for.
“I’m enjoying this break. I think I’ll have plenty of opportunities to do this at some point.”
The Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray finally won the All-Star Game’s 3-point contest on Friday night.
Clark watched from the sidelines alongside teammate Aaliyah Boston and other WNAB players.
However, Clark did participate in the short court competition, but lost to her well-known rival, Angel Reese, who is also a favorite for the Rookie of the Year Award.
As for Bayless, his future in media appears uncertain after both Stephen A. Smith and his employer, ESPN, distanced themselves from him.
Bayless and Smith worked for several years on the network’s “First Take” program until the former’s departure to Fox Sports in 2016.
“That’s it, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, working together as partners on a talk show. That’s it,” Smith said on his YouTube channel this week.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve said it. There’s no negativity or bad eyes on Skip Bayless. I’ve moved on.”