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WNBA legend Sue Bird shared her thoughts on Caitlin Clark being snubbed on ESPN's list of top women's college basketball players of all time.
On Monday, ESPN released a 10-minute video ranking women's college basketball's greatest of all time (GOAT). The list included, in order, Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Cheryl Miller.
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Most notably, current Indiana Fever superstar and former Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark was left out of the rankings.
On Thursday's "A Touch More with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe." Bird, a four-time WNBA champion and 13-time All-Star, shared her thoughts on the list created by the giant media network. While agreeing with the list and respecting all opinions, she stated the she doesn't believe a player needs a championship title to be considered a top-five talent.
Bird sorted her own top five: in order, Stewart, Taurasi, Clark, Chamique Holdsclaw and four players tied for the fifth spot. These are Parker, Moore, Miller and Sheryl Swoopes.
Bird explained her rationale behind picking the Time 2024 Athlete of the Year as No. 3 on the GOAT ranking:
"Caitlin didn't win, it's why she's not No. 1," Bird said (Timestamp: 48:46). "This kid is obviously special. Definitely, one of the greatest of all time."
Bird explained a couple of ways of shaping these rankings: positioning players based on their resumes and deciding who will be picked in a draft first.
"There's no way you're not taking Caitlin Clark in the top five," Bird said (Timestamp: 49:20). "To me, there's no way you're not taking her in the top three. That's not a knock on anybody else. I just think that's the reality of it."
Although Caitlin Clark failed to deliver an NCAA championship to the school, the University of Iowa still retired her No. 22 Hawkeyes jersey on Feb. 2.
Fever guard shares thoughts on Caitlin Clark and new teammates
The Indiana Fever has retooled its roster around reigning Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. One of its offseason acquisitions is sharpshooter Sophie Cunningham.
On March 13, the Fever posted Cunningham's interview with reporter Pat Boylan on X. The former Phoenix Mercury guard explained how she would complement the playing styles of Clark, two-time WNBA All-Star Kelsey Mitchell and 2023 first-pick Aliyah Boston.
"When you see Caitlin, when you see Aliyah Boston, she's a great passer," Cunnigham said (Timestamp: 2:56). "Kelsey Mitchell is a great passer that if you move and you make the great cut, you're going to get the ball. And I think that just helps everybody, you know, free up."
Joining Cunningham as new Fever players are veterans DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, bringing championship experience with them.
Caitlin Clark and Indiana aim for a deep playoff run this year after snapping their seven-year postseason drought in 2024.
