Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA legend, has lauded Caitlin Clark – although with a succinct seven-word response – after she was named Time Magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year despite initially admitting to being “a hater” of the WNBA newcomer.

Amid his close relationship with Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, it took O’Neal a while to acknowledge the meteoric rise of the Indiana Fever star during the 2024 season – where she transitioned from a relative unknown to the face of women’s basketball in just a few months. After breaking numerous records and leading the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016, Clark was awarded Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press and Time Magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year.

When TMZ asked O’Neal about Clark’s prestigious recognition from Time Magazine, he was concise but gave a slight nod of approval, saying, “Congratulations to her; she’s a fabulous player,” However, O’Neal, not one to focus on a single individual for too long, quickly shifted attention to the collective achievements of several WNBA stars who contributed to the league’s increased popularity in 2024.

He added, “Caitlin (and) my girl Angel definitely brought a lot of publicity to the WNBA,” and continued, “But we can’t forget about all the other WNBA greats. A’ja [Wilson], Sabrina [Ionescu], Diana [Taurasi], all the women that’s playing great. They’re finally getting the credit they deserve.”

O’Neal’s statement comes just a few months after he surprisingly reversed his view on the 22-year-old Clark. Throughout the season, fans and media outlets often tried to pit Clark and Reese against each other as they competed for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.

Initially, O’Neal sided with Reese and once even called himself Clark’s “hater” in an appearance on the Sky forward’s podcast ‘Unapologetically Angel.’ Clark and Reese have dismissed the idea of a feud between them.

“[Clark] does everything right. I never spoke about her (before) because Angel is my girl but I can truthfully say Caitlin Clark is for real. I’m watching her play, and I’m trying to be upset, but she makes the right pass, makes the right play,” Shaq told Sports Illustrated.

“Girls try to beat her up and she doesn’t really complain. She’s a great one, even early on. She’s the real deal. Much respect to her and her family and the way she grew up and the way she plays.”