Geno Auriemma on Caitlin Clark: Some WNBA players 'would love to kick her [expletive]'

UConn coach Geno Auriemma got blunt while recently discussing Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark.

Auriemma has been vocal about Clark over the years, going back to the days when he scouted her and fellow superstar guard Paige Bueckers in high school. With the recent Alyssa Thomas controversy, Auriemma sounded off on Richard Deitch's sports media podcast about the Clark experience and her taking hard fouls from other players.

Auriemma's NSFW comments are incredibly complicated and relatively nuanced for where he's been with Clark in the past, but this quote stuck out. He admits that he does think there are "personal animosities" in the WNBA against Clark, even if he doesn't believe every hard foul should warrant widespread attention and stand for something bigger.

"I do think there are some personal animosities in that league where people are going to take a shot at her unfairly," he said on the podcast. "It shouldn't be a national referendum, and yes, there are players in that league that would love to kick her ass every minute of every day."

Here is PART of what Geno Auriemma said on the Caitlin Clark discourse. The whole answer -- it's a long one -- is in the podcast below. He had a lot to say on it and WNBA officiating. https://t.co/uaZGs79REnpic.twitter.com/pNCfbYJhag

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) July 7, 2026

Auriemma has never been one to hide his feelings, and he's always going to have a UConn bias when discussing players in the WNBA... especially superstars that didn't play for him. However, his comments here still are worth taking to heart as people look at Clark's experience in the WNBA and that Thomas controversy in particular.

Will Clark play this week?

It's possible she returns on Wednesday or Thursday.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Geno Auriemma on Caitlin Clark: Some WNBA players 'would love to kick her [expletive]'