WNBA HOFer compares "generational" Caitlin Clark to icons Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods: "We should celebrate her, not tolerate her"

WNBA Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman offered heartfelt praise for Caitlin Clark during the Indiana Fever's 100-93 road victory over the Dallas Wings at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday. The former WNBA champion addressed Clark's critics while emphasizing the rookie's profound impact on the game.

Commenting during the broadcast, Lieberman delivered her accolades as Clark stepped up to the free-throw line with 4:41 remaining in the third quarter.

Lieberman, a WNBA icon, described the 22-year-old's influence as "generational," comparing her potential to elevate her peers' financial success to that of legends like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

"What Caitlin Clark has done for the game is generational," Lieberman said on air, as heard in the video shared by the Indiana Fever on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"As a baller to a baller, I just want to say thank you to you, Caitlin Clark, for just lifting our game up. ... You're going to make all these women multi-millionaires one day like Tiger (Woods) did, like Michael Jordan did.

She also called on fans and pundits to stop criticizing Clark and instead celebrate her remarkable impact on the sport.

"We shouldn't hate on her. We should celebrate her, not tolerate her," she added.

Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally commented on Caitlin Clark's impact on women's basketball after seeing a sea of fans wearing the Fever rookie's jersey during the game.

"It's amazing to see so many people in women's basketball jerseys. It's amazing to see the excitement and the joy that comes out of that," Sabally said.

"Although, I feel like our Dallas fans could have done better, I had mixed feelings seeing all the Caitlin jerseys in our home, but it’s an amazing sign for women’s basketball. It's just great how far we have come," the German star added.

Caitlin Clark surges ahead in ROTY race

Caitlin Clark pulled ahead of her rival Angel Reese in the Rookie of the Year race with another stellar performance. The former Iowa standout led Indiana to its sixth victory since the season resumed after the Olympic break, pushing their record above .500 (17-16) for the first time this season.

The one-time WNBA All-Star recorded her 12th double-double of the season after scoring 28 points and dishing out 12 assists against the Wings.

Since the Olympic break, Clark is averaging 24.6 points per game on 48% shooting from the field, including 39% from the 3-point range. She also averages five rebounds and nine assists per game since the restart.