Geno Auriemma Rips Chennedy Carter, Says Caitlin Clark Has Been 'Targeted' in WNBA

Count UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma among those who aren't happy with the way some WNBA players are approaching going up against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

"Is she facing the rookie challenge, the rookie hardships that are inherent with being a rookie? Yes," Auriemma said Tuesday, per ESPN's Michael Voepel. "She's also being targeted."

The discourse surrounding the physical play Clark is facing reached another level when Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter knocked her to the ground Saturday with a foul that was eventually upgraded to a flagrant 1 by the WNBA.

Carter also didn't answer any questions about the play or Clark after the game, which Auriemma called "junior high stuff."

Auriemma continued and compared Clark's situation to those of prominent NBA stars.

"I don't remember when [Michael] Jordan came into the [NBA], guys looking to go out and beat him up," he said. "I don't remember when [Larry] Bird and Magic [Johnson] came in the league and elevated the NBA, them getting targeted and getting beat up just because of who they were and the attention they were getting.

"Appreciate the fact that now's the time [for the WNBA]. I get it. It's long overdue. Why are you blaming that kid? It's not her fault, because you would trade places with her in a minute, but you are not there. You're not her. So, you're [complaining] that she's getting what she's getting."

Despite his comments, the Detroit Pistons famously instituted the "Jordan Rules" when facing Jordan in the NBA.

That frequently entailed physically beating up the Chicago Bulls star whenever he drove into the lane and making life particularly difficult for him on the court. And it was an obstacle for His Airness to overcome, which he eventually did with a sweep of Detroit in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals on his way to a first of six championships.

As for Clark, there was always going to be a step up in physical play as she adjusts to the WNBA level.

The same can be said for many of the players in the high-profile rookie class. But Clark is under the brightest spotlight as the No. 1 overall pick following a record-setting collegiate career, and the Carter foul generated plenty of conversations and headlines.

It remained in the headlines when Carter didn't answer questions but still took to social media to criticize Clark, and Auriemma is the latest to weigh in on the situation.

It wasn't long ago that Auriemma's Huskies lost to Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in last season's Final Four, and the UConn coach may also be thinking ahead to next year's draft when his team's star guard in Paige Bueckers could be the No. 1 overall pick.

She will likely also face increased physical play as she adjusts to the WNBA, although her head coach surely hopes she isn't "targeted" like he believes Clark has been early in her rookie season.