Sheryl Swoopes breaks silence on 'blame' for Caitlin Clark WNBA award snub as she makes U-turn

Three-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Caitlin Clark's non-unanimous Rookie of the Year win , suggesting that someone else is at fault .

Clark , the Indiana Fever superstar, overcame a slow start to her debut season to deliver a remarkable performance, living up to her billing as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The former Iowa college standout averaged 19.2 points, a league-high 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in her rookie year, breaking 11 league records in the process.

Clark was subsequently named Rookie of the Year but did not receive a unanimous vote from the 67-member panel, with one individual instead backing Chicago Sky's Angel Reese. Swoopes, a four-time WNBA champion, has now clarified that she did not have a vote for the award and initially had doubts about Clark's deservingness but was won over by her performances after the Olympic break.

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Speaking on the "Levels To This" podcast, Swoopes said: "First of all, congratulations to Caitlin – very well deserved."

"She had a hell of a rookie year doing things that just haven't been done by a rookie before," she remarked to co-host Terrika Foster-Brasby, as she lauded Clark. "But I hate to disappoint the people...You all cannot blame this one on me. I don't get a vote. I've never had a vote in any of the awards.", reports the Mirror US .

"I'll also say this, if Rickea Jackson had gotten more playing time at the beginning of the season, Rickea Jackson would be in this conversation, but I digress. I thought at one point, Angel Reese had my Rookie of the Year vote because she set the double-double record, and for a rookie, that is impressive."

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Explaining her admiration for the Fever point guard's performance after returning from the Olympic break, she added: "After the Olympic break, Caitlin Clark got some rest [...]. She came back and completely separated herself from all other rookies in the league. So congratulations to Caitlin. You all can't get mad at me. I don't get votes, so it wasn't me."

Following revelations that one voter had supported Reese for the award, multiple individuals stepped up to declare their votes for Clark. CBS journalist Terrika Foster-Brasby clarified on social media: "I voted for CC. So don't blow me up or call me a hater cause IT WASN'T TERRIKA."

Meanwhile, Khristina Williams, a journalist from iHeartRadio, also joined the conversation, stating: "I had Caitlin Clark on my ballot for Rookie of the Year," while Nick Hamilton from SiriusXM confirmed: "My voting ballot for #WNBA ROY was Caitlin Clark."