Teague Criticizes Clark; Lieberman Defends Star Player

Springfield, MA, USA — Former NBA player Jeff Teague stirred controversy during a recent episode of the Club 520 Podcast by questioning Caitlin Clark‘s abilities. ‘I’ve been saying the Fever don’t need Clark,’ he said, referring to Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate, who wears number zero. Teague added, ‘She’s good, but she’s not that good. I said [Mitchell] was the best player on the team.’

The comments drew sharp responses, especially from women’s basketball legend Nancy Lieberman. During her appearance on the Big3 Podcast, Lieberman defended Clark, stating, ‘I don’t agree with Jeff Teague, who said that Caitlin Clark is just a good player. She’s not a great player.’ Lieberman challenged Teague’s critique of Clark, emphasizing her talent and contributions to the team.

Lieberman continued to address Teague’s past, saying, ‘I love you [Teague], you weren’t a great player, okay?’ She reminded listeners of his single All-Star selection and represented a direct rebuttal to his claims about Clark.

The tension escalated when Teague revealed on the podcast that Lieberman attempted to call him to discuss the situation, which he declined. In a subsequent interview with OutKick, Lieberman shared details of her attempt to reach out. ‘I called him because I’m a problem solver,’ she explained. ‘I said, ‘Hey Jeff, it’s Nancy, I’m just checking in on you to see if you’re OK.’ And I said, ‘I hope you’re well’ and I hung up.’

Lieberman concluded that her comments were not meant to offend, stating, ‘I don’t dislike [Teague]. Most people in the world, in business, are serviceable because you can’t run a company without dedicated, dependable people.’ This acknowledgment of what it means to be ‘serviceable’ in sports appears to be at the heart of her defense of Clark.

As discussions continue in the WNBA community about these comments, fans and analysts wait to see how this will affect the relationship between Lieberman and Teague.