Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White’s heated exchange was far from just a regular episode for the Indiana Fever this season. During the matchup against Portland Fire, things quickly became uncomfortable on the bench, forcing the team into a conundrum. Now, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe has taken a jab at Clark, sharing his two cents on this incident.

Speaking on the Nightcap YouTube channel, Sharpe claimed that Clark should show the same passion while defending on the court rather than arguing with the head coach.

“The problem is, this is not isolated,” Sharpe said, referring to the viral sideline video from the Portland Fire game that saw both Clark and White arguing animatedly. “It’s every night. She doesn’t play defense. Why are you trying to drop a play offensively? Guard your man defensively. I’ve been on Caitlin Clark’s corner. But enough is enough now. I’m tired of her behavior. I’m tired of the shoving. I’m tired of the entitlement. Enough is enough. Play basketball.”‘

“She’s not holding up her end, and I love Stephanie White for this…. Ain’t nothing wrong with a little passion. Where’s the passion on defense? Y’all say she got passion. Where’s that passion on defense?

But the way it unfolded on camera seems wrong and might creating a misleading narrative about Clark and White. Basketball analyst Robin Lundberg also echoed a similar voice. “I need more context to have a conversation like that,” Lundberg said. “But it ain’t doing any favors. It’s not a good look for anybody.”

Whether that was owing to the shared frustration of a bad game or White not being satisfied with Clark’s strategy is yet to be known. However, it’s an open secret that Caitlin Clark isn’t the most efficient defender on that Indiana Fever roster. Yes, she does have the reach, and she gets those blocks and steals at times. Case in point, she’s currently leading the team in those two metrics: 0.9 blocks and 1.3 steals on average per game.

But in an individual one-on-one situation, Clark is definitely not the one you would put your money on. The Portland Fire game is the latest testament to this assessment. Clark was immediately taken aback by opposing players like Carla Leite, who finished the night with 18 points and 12 assists. While that was already not enough, CC gave away five fouls in the game.

It limited her time to just 22 minutes in the game. Meanwhile, this Portland Fire game also exposed Clark’s defensive inconsistency. CC’s offensive production was far from substantial in the game as well. The Fever point guard just recorded 6 points, her lowest in the league since last June versus Seattle, as per Yahoo Sports. She recorded just one field goal on the night, where practically nothing went her way.

Despite a cold night on the hardwood, Caitlin Clark still remains the anchor for the Indiana Fever. She also leads the teams in assists (8.1), besides steals and blocks.

WNBA Analyst Explains Why the Indiana Fever Should Rest Their Faith in Caitlin Clark

For most of her time in the season, Caitlin Clark has been a standout while moving on the ball. Her off-the-ball movements, like screening, are still under development, but with the ball, there are very few in the Fever roster who are as formidable as her.

It’s because of the array of options she has up her sleeve when she’s driving with the ball. She can split defenders to make a shot, get into a pick-and-roll movement, or even nail down a precise three-pointer. This expertise is what makes Clark a generational one, according to Robin Lundberg.

“The thing about Caitlin is that she’s such a generational talent as far as creating for herself and others,” Lundberg said on his YouTube channel. “When she’s really playing her game, you can’t really nitpick each defensive possession like that, right? In the sense of over the course of things, the positives are going to so far outweigh the negatives unless you’re getting those positives on the offensive end.”

Caitlin Clark’s on-the-ball stance is also statistically backed. The new gravity metric shows CC has the most on-ball gravity (6.6) among Fever players. Players like Kelsey Mitchell, who boast a better average gravity (7.2), lag behind Clark when the latter has the ball. This makes a clear-cut stance for the Indiana Fever: CC might not be able to defend the perimeter on plays, but when she has the ball, the opposition defenders are still bending at her might.