Clark refused to help up Hannah Stuelke in Hawkeyes’ Sweet 16 win

Caitlin Clark has been criticized for being a bad teammate over a few video clipsAP

Caitlin Clark dished out 15 assists in the Sweet 16, but one selfish moment in the game outweighed all of them for fans online who continue to seek reasons to tear down March Madness’ biggest star.

Early in the game, Clark’s trusted teammate Hannah Stuelke stayed on the ground in pain after a defensive possession, and instead of helping her up, Iowa’s lead guard looked at her and chose to leave her on the court. She wanted to make sure she had the ball in her hands so that the Haweyes did not receive a violation for inbounding the ball too slow.

Caitlin Clark’s character questioned again

It is another example in a string of controversial moments caught on camera during the NCAA Tournament that have suggested Clark is not the ideal teammate.

From exploding on the referees to blaming her teammates for mistakes, the NCAA all-time leading scorer had some unsavory moments with the eyes of the world on March Madness.

In particular, her NSFW scream in the second round against West Virginia that was caught on cameras did not make for a good look. After scoring an important basket, she let loose a loud “shut the f*ck up!” that led to social media criticism that Clark is not a good role model for young girls.

What’s next for Caitlin Clark?

It’s a criticism that won’t bother Clark or any of the other Hawkeyes, because her contributions to winning have given them moments to cherish throughout her career. Her 29 points and 15 assists against Colorado on Saturday accounted for the majority of Iowa’s 89 points in the win.

As the Big Ten champions prepare to face LSU in the Elite Eight and avenge last year’s NCAA championship game defeat, more of those memorable moments may be on the horizon. Likewise, the cameras will be trained on Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese like never before. As the popularity of women’s basketball grows, so does the spotlight.