NBA champ credits Caitlin Clark for WNBA’s newfound popularity amid jealousy from ‘old guard’

Two-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson appears on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" to break down Caitlin Clark's arrival in the WNBA.

Two-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson suggests that Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark should get a Jeep endorsement, and it’s all thanks to her biggest critics.

Thompson, the father of new Dallas Mavericks star Klay Thompson, joined OutKick's "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich" to talk about Clark and the WNBA’s recent rise in popularity.

Mychal Thompson participates in the broadcast before the game between the Clippers and Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2022. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

"JEEP is an acronym that I’ve come up with about the way she has been treated and not welcomed into the WNBA … the acronym stands for jealousy, envy, egos and pettiness: J-E-E-P, JEEP. That’s the way the women have treated her, especially the old guard, the stars."

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The Fever drafted Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in April after she completed four years at Iowa University, where she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back Final Four appearances.

Thompson called Clark the "sole reason" the WNBA has risen in popularity, something he said drives the old guard "crazy."

The WNBA announced that May was the highest-attended opening month in 26 years and the most-watched start of the season ever across every network.

Clark is not the only high-profile rookie to come into the WNBA this season. Angel Reese has vaulted herself into the rookie of the year conversation with her strong play.

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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever is shown during the game against the