Caitlin Clark is undeniably the biggest and most high-profile player that the WNBA has ever seen and is a massive reason why other players in the league are now making more than seven figures a year on their contracts. However, one prominent analyst does not think the league needs her anymore.

In a fiery rant on the latest episode of his Speakeasy podcast, former ESPN and Fox Sports star Emmanuel Acho claimed that the WNBA no longer needs Caitlin Clark.

‘Better Off Without Caitlin Clark’

In the most recent episode of Speakeasy, Acho argued that at this point in time, Clark is simply more of a distraction to the league than she is worth.

“The W, at this junction in time, would be better off without Caitlin Clark because she is a bigger distraction than she is an additive,” Acho said on the podcast. “Caitlin Clark has gotten the WNBA over the necessary threshold they needed. Now, people are watching.”

Acho said that fans have now realized that there are a lot of talented players in the WNBA, as he argued that there are several players even more talented than Clark who play the same position – including one of Clark’s current teammates.

“Now, people realize ‘Oh, there’s talent in the W.’ Talent that is actually greater than Caitlin Clark,” he said. “And I’m not just talking about bigs like A’Ja [Wilson]. I’m talking about the Olivia Miles, I’m talking about the Paige Bueckers. Hell, I’m talking about the Kelsey Mitchells.”

People were interested in these podcasts

Acho acknowledged that Clark brought a ton of attention to the league in a way that only she could have done. Now that the league has the attention, however, he thinks her purpose is over.

“Caitlin got the necessary eyes there. But now that the eyes are there, we don’t necessarily need her anymore. Caitlin did what only Caitlin could do, and we don’t necessarily need her to do anymore,” Acho said. “Thank you, Caitlin. We can take it from here.”

Acho argued that Clark’s presence in the league is now causing more problems than she’s worth, given the media firestorm and fan fury that seems to follow her everywhere.

“Now, you’re saying that the WNBA needs to be cognizant of where they put Caitlin Clark on posters,” he said. “The WNBA and the officials need to alter the rules for Caitlin Clark. The WNBA and opposing players need to treat Caitlin Clark more gently. Caitlin Clark’s coach needs to be cognizant of how she talks to her in public because it’s going to look like there’s an issue.”

“Unless we can take off our gloves for Caitlin Clark and stop trying to act like she’s a Messiah, the WNBA could and would be better off without Caitlin Clark – at least without this version, of everybody coddling, and caressing, and catering to Caitlin Clark,” he concluded.

Acho is Not Alone

While this is certainly a bold take from Acho, he is actually not alone in this sentiment as the tide has started to turn against Clark a bit in the media in recent weeks.

“This isn’t fun. The Caitlin Clark experience. It was supposed to be a whole bunch of logo 3s and a staggering amount of no-look passes. Instead, it’s become a sizzle reel of flagrant fouls, interrupted only by troubling injuries and league-wide PR nightmares,” wrote Candace Buckner of The Athletic.

“Can I say something about the Caitlin Clark situation? I would like to opt out of all Caitlin Clark discourse until she wins something. Why are we wasting all this time talking about a loser?” Barstool Sports personality PFT Commenter said on his Pardon My Take podcast.

“I’ve noticed a troubling pattern. Whenever something negative happens to Clark, a wave of people emerges from the darkest corners of the internet. They weaponize the moment to spread racism, demean Black women, attack the WNBA, and say things they would likely never utter face-to-face,” award-winning journalist Rob Knox wrote in his blog post. “The basketball disappears. Humanity disappears. What’s left is outrage without boundaries.”

The sports world seems to have developed a bit of fatigue with the Indiana Fever star.