Shaquille O'Neal gets clobbered by WNBA fans for justifying Caitlin Clark’s lack of appreciation - “Hater of young bloods”

Shaquille O'Neal has been on the receiving end of criticism for several years now due to his takes on the young generation of basketball players. Besides his comments on Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons and more, he's now putting his attention on the WNBA and especially Caitlin Clark.

The four-time NBA champion tried to explain that nobody is hating on the Indiana Fever rookie during a Monday interview with USA Today, clarifying that she needs to "wait for her turn" to shine since the WNBA has plenty of stars.

"As good as Caitlin Clark is, we’ve had a lot of young ladies who have been doing good (before) and not getting props," Shaq said. "People like props and they want to feel good when you’re talking about (their league) … it’s not hating. Everybody has to wait their turn.”

These comments didn't sit well with fans, and plenty of them were quick to call him out, labeling him as a "hater" of the new generation.

"SHAQ REALLY A HATER OF YOUNG BLOODS 😭," one fan wrote.

"ironic coming from the biggest retired NBA player hater of all time," another fan wrote.

"False- they are hating," another fan said.

Others said that Clark's greatness is too big to be stopped or slowed down while insisting that she's getting a lot of hate.

"She doesn't have to wait. She already lapped 99% of the league. Get over it Unc," one fan said.

Shaquille O'Neal said Caitlin Clark wasn't the only attraction the WNBA has

In June, when Clark was still playing her first month in the WNBA, Shaquille O'Neal said that her arrival to the league wasn't as big as people made it look. She credited other players for bringing more eyes to the W, trying to shoot down Clark's hype.

"Don't say, 'Oh, we're getting new sponsorship because if Caitlin [Clark]," O'Neal said. "No, what about Angel [Reese]? What about [Kamilla] Cardoso? What about my favorite, Kelsey Plum? Cameron Brink.

"I think why people get upset is, as a player, you don't want to be forgotten."

Even though Shaquille O'Neal admitted that Caitlin Clark is the "real deal," fans considered that he and more people are constantly over Clark despite all the great things she's shown this season.

The Fever guard should be a lock for the Rookie of the Year award this season after posting 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and 90.7% from the free-throw line.