Here's why this basketball legend compared Caitlin Clark to Michael Jordan

Standing so high atop a sports mountain like Caitlin Clark is will attract haters and detractors. But one basketball legend is sounding the alarm on that negative attention by comparing the rookie phenom to another great — and for very good reason.

Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman tackled the topic of Clark's already-growing legacy during the broadcast of the Indiana Fever-Dallas Wings game this weekend, and thanked the No. 1 overall draft pick for paving the way for growing the WNBA's popularity.

"As a baller to a baller, I just want to say thank you," Lieberman said. "You are going to make all these women multi-millionaires one day. Like Tiger did, like Michael Jordan did."

Lieberman, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, went on to address the way Clark has been criticized in her first WNBA season.

"We shouldn't hate on her," Lieberman said. "We should celebrate her, not tolerate her."

Clark, 22, is one of the frontrunners to win Rookie of the Year in 2024. She currently leads the league in assists per game (8.4) and is second in the WNBA in three-pointers made per game (3.0).

Her presence has helped get more eyes on the league, with the WNBA posting its best viewership numbers in over two decades. Additionally, the Fever have sold out 11 games this season including eight straight, according to Sportsnaut .