Caitlin Clark might be out due to injury, but she continues to grab headlines. When former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague recently downplayed the Indiana Fever star, calling her just a good player, not a great one, it didn’t sit right with many WNBA fans and experts alike.

However, none hit back harder than basketball legend and former WNBA coach Nancy Lieberman, who wasn’t shy about putting Teague in his place during a sharp and fiery moment on the Big3 Podcast.

How Did Nancy Lieberman Shut Down Jeff Teague’s Take on Caitlin Clark?

During a recent appearance on the Big3 Podcast, Hall of Famer Lieberman came out swinging in defense of Clark after Teague’s comment from a July 28 episode of the Club 520 Podcast. Teague had suggested that Clark wasn’t a great player, just good, and that comment quickly made waves.

“I don’t agree with Jeff Teague, who I read something today that said, you know, ‘Caitlin Clark, well she’s just a good player. She’s not a great player,’” Lieberman said. But she didn’t stop there.

“I love you [Teague], you weren’t a great player, okay? You were serviceable. I know you made the All-Star team one time. I’m sorry. If we’re gonna be honest, I’m happy for your career.”

Sitting alongside Lieberman, former NBA forward Michael Beasley jumped in with support: “Jeff, my guy, but you trippin’. Caitlin’s great.”

Lieberman quickly doubled down: “She is great.”

Her words carry weight since Lieberman isn’t just anyone voicing an opinion. She’s a former WNBA head coach and a pioneer of women’s basketball who coached in both the WNBA and NBA, including a stint on the Sacramento Kings’ coaching staff. She played professionally for five teams, including Phoenix Mercury, and knows what greatness looks like.

She’s seen enough in Clark to speak out more than once. Lieberman previously told TMZ on July 13, “If [Clark] happens to be the cash cow right now, embrace it, and don’t be petty. She’s the best guard in the league.”

How Does Caitlin Clark Impact Games With Her Presence?

Clark hasn’t played since July 15 due to a right groin injury suffered in a game against the Connecticut Sun. Interestingly, the Indiana Fever hit a hot streak in her absence, winning five straight games, which matched their best win streak. The Sparks finally stopped them on August 5.

But this isn’t the first time the Fever have found success without Clark on the floor. During the Commissioner’s Cup Finals, which they won, Clark was sidelined with a different groin injury.

These brief team successes made some critics question Clark’s impact and even label her overrated. Her shooting numbers this season haven’t helped quiet that talk. She’s hitting only 36.7% from the field and an ice-cold 27.9% from 3-point range. Some have even gone as far as to say the team plays better without her.

Those takes ignore the bigger picture, though. Clark is more than a player in the WNBA. She’s a phenomenon. No one in the WNBA pulls in bigger numbers or more headlines than Clark.

Viewership skyrockets when she steps on the court; her games have shattered TV ratings, drawn sold-out crowds in arenas that previously struggled to fill seats, and put the WNBA on front pages nationwide.

Clark’s gravity on the court is unmatched. She stretches defenses, absorbs pressure, and frees up space for her teammates. Fever head coach Stephanie White acknowledged exactly that in a recent appearance on NBA Today.

“She demands so much gravity on the defensive end of the floor,” White said. “She’s constantly seeing multiple players, and she makes the right reads and makes the right plays for our group.”

White added that once Clark returns, the team’s offensive threat will rise significantly: “We’ll be that much more dangerous on offense in particular.”

Despite the injury setbacks and dip in shooting, Clark’s resume is still one of the most impressive in recent memory. In just two WNBA seasons, she’s already been named Rookie of the Year, made twice to All-Star team, and led the league in assists. Before that, she had one of the most decorated college careers ever, complete with a retired jersey to prove it.

So when someone like Lieberman speaks up in Clark’s defense, it’s less about clapping back and more about protecting a generational talent who’s already changing the game, on and off the court. The basketball legend has decades of experience and knows what she’s talking about when she sees it.