Dan Dakich isn’t one to mince words, and on Monday’s episode of “Don’t @ Me,” the OutKick host went all in, ripping the WNBA for completely botching the Caitlin Clark phenomenon. According to Dakich, the league had a Category 5 hurricane barreling toward it, and yet somehow, they managed to show up with a paper umbrella.
Now, let’s be honest. It’s not every day you see a rookie come into the league and create the kind of buzz Caitlin Clark has. She’s been nothing short of a basketball tornado, whipping up attention and leaving defenders wondering if they should have just stayed in bed. But here’s where the plot twist comes in: the WNBA, in all its wisdom, apparently decided to sit this one out. You know, like a surfer deciding to hit the snack bar instead of catching the wave of the century.
“Everyone told the WNBA that a ‘hurricane was coming,'” Dakich exclaimed, clearly bewildered by the league’s oversight. “But instead of battening down the hatches, they were too busy arguing over whether they should buy snacks for the storm party.”
Clark’s dazzling performance in her first 26 professional games had fans flocking to the stands and tuning in on TV, only to find the WNBA still trying to figure out how to spell “Caitlin.” And let’s not even get started on the whole Olympic team fiasco. According to Dakich, Clark should have been a lock for Team USA, but somehow, the powers that be decided to play it safe and go with “who we always go with” – a strategy as exciting as choosing vanilla at an ice cream parlor.
The WNBA’s supposed reasoning? They weren’t interested in “enhancing” the product but rather “protecting” it. Protecting what exactly? The title of “Most Overlooked League of the Year”?
“They had a tornado hit,” Dakich continued, “and they weren’t ready. You had this tornado hit, and instead of riding the wave, they decided to play it safe, like a lifeguard who’s afraid of getting wet.”
But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. Despite the WNBA’s best efforts to downplay her, Caitlin Clark, along with Angel Reese, has continued to shine. It’s almost like watching a rose grow out of concrete – if that concrete was the league office and the rose was someone who could drop 30 points before halftime.
And while the league may have missed out on capitalizing on Clark’s star power, Dakich points out that the Paris Olympics gold medal game could have been a “must-watch event” if Clark had been in the mix. Imagine that, the WNBA’s golden ticket sitting at home, sipping tea while the world watches someone else take center stage.
So, what’s next? Maybe the WNBA will finally realize that when a star like Caitlin Clark comes along, you don’t protect the league from her – you let her tear the place down and build it back up again. Or, they could just keep doing what they’re doing and hope no one notices that the hurricane blew right past them.
Either way, Dakich’s message is clear: next time, maybe bring more than just a flimsy umbrella to the storm.
