Basketball legend Nancy Lieberman claims she would have punched Chennedy Carter in the face and told her to ‘f**k off’ if she were Caitlin Clark at the weekend.

Carter has drawn heavy criticism for her brutal bodycheck on Clark during Chicago’s defeat to Indiana last Saturday, with the Sky guard appearing to yell ‘you b***h’ before shoving the Fever rookie to the ground.

Angel Reese seemingly celebrated the shove with her Chicago teammate after the game, despite their 71-70 loss on the night, which sparked outrage on social media.

During an appearance on FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back’, Lieberman admitted she would have reacted a lot more violently to the bodycheck than Clark did, while calling on the former Iowa sensation’s teammates in Indiana to protect her better in the future.

‘Well, if I were Caitlin Clark, I would’ve punched her in the face,’ the iconic former WNBA player and coach said. ‘I’m from New York and I would’ve told her to f**k off.

Nancy Lieberman claims she would have punched Chennedy Carter (right) in the face and told her to ‘f**k off’ if she were Caitlin Clark (left)

‘That would actually cure the problem, because I’ve known Chennedy since she was in high school here in Dallas. She’s a tough kid, she’s a really good basketball player, she’s gonna come after you because she’s very physical — which is OK.

‘But damn, where is Caitlin Clark’s teammates? I’d be p***ed as s**t at my teammates if nobody came to my defense.’

Lieberman went on to point out that hockey great Wayne Gretzky and NBA legend Michael Jordan always had enforcers protecting them in their respective fields, insisting that Clark needs similar help on court for the Fever.

‘Honestly this is bulls**t. This has to be better,’ she added. ‘Indiana has to be better. Somebody has to come to this kid’s [defense].’

One player willing to come to Clark’s defense is Angel McCoughtry, who has offered to join Indiana and protect their superstar rookie against brutality in the future.

The 37-year-old McCoughtry, who has been without a team since leaving the Minnesota Lynxh in 2022, is itching to return to the league – stressing that it’s about time for players to stick up for their teammates.

‘Take care of your players. All of y’all. I don’t care who it is,’ the veteran told TMZ.

‘If somebody is dragging your player down by the neck, I’m in your face. “What the hell are you doing?” Hey, we can go have lunch later, but right now we’re competing. Don’t grab my player like that.’

If players aren’t willing to start standing up for their teammates, then McCoughtry is offering her services.

‘Someone sign me! I’ll make sure, I’m a vet and I’ll make sure I defend and do what I gotta do.’

She added: ‘I’m actually waiting to go back [to the WNBA]. Somebody, I’m here! Call me! C’mon, I’m still dunking the basketball!

‘I would love to play on a team that can contest for a championship or be a vet to help the young ones … like Caitlin Clark. She needs that vet around her arm just pushing her through the season.’