In a world where sports fandom is a serious business, Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever rookie and former Iowa basketball phenom, just reminded everyone that she’s as lethal with her humor as she is with a basketball. This weekend, Clark couldn’t resist throwing a playful jab at her ex-Hawkeye teammate, Gabbie Marshall, after Marshall’s Cincinnati Bengals suffered a gut-wrenching overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals had fans gripping their seats (and hearts) in a nail-biting 41-38 loss, but for Clark, the game was just an opportunity to give her friend some good-natured grief. Why? Because Clark, a Kansas City Chiefs fan through and through, never misses a chance to hype up her favorite squad—or rub in a Bengals loss.
Taking to Instagram, the WNBA star posted a photo of Marshall supporting her beloved Bengals, adding a cheeky caption to remind everyone that she’s rolling with Patrick Mahomes and Co. For Marshall, it was salt in the wound after watching the Ravens snatch victory in the dying moments of overtime. But for Clark? Just another day in Chiefs Kingdom.
The friendly trash talk didn’t come as a surprise to those who follow Clark. She’s been flaunting her Chiefs pride for years, even trading jerseys with Kansas City’s star wide receiver Rashee Rice, before he was sidelined with an injury. Not only is she a frequent presence at Chiefs games, but she’s also been embraced by the team and its fans. After Iowa’s stunning run to the Final Four, the Chiefs rallied behind Clark, sharing a throwback pic of her as a kid donning the iconic red and gold. The caption read, “You cheered for us, now it’s our turn,” rallying the Kingdom to root for her in the championship.
Clark, who’s had a lights-out debut WNBA season, hasn’t let basketball overshadow her NFL loyalty. The Chiefs, currently 4-0, are primed for a showdown against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, and you can bet Clark will be tuned in, probably live-tweeting some more jabs if the Bengals struggle again.
As for Marshall? Let’s hope she’s got thick skin—or at least a solid comeback lined up the next time the Chiefs drop a game. But for now, Caitlin Clark is riding high on her Chiefs fandom, poking fun at her ex-teammate, and once again proving she’s just as entertaining off the court as she is on it.
Will this budding rivalry spill into the WNBA? Who knows, but we’d love to see it.