WNBA star Caitlin Clark is making record-breaking noise in women’s basketball, but her popularity is also stirring up controversy in the sports world.
“The WNBA has been a failure, it always has been,” the Fox News contributor said. Guy Benson “They’re not making money. They’ve never made a profit.”
“And right now, you look at the interest in Caitlin Clark at the college level, the WNBA level, the jersey sales, the ticket sales, the television ratings. It would be suicidal for this league not to protect the most valuable asset in the history of the league,” Benson added.
Former ESPN host Jemele Hill thought Clark’s presence in the league was “problematic” because of his race and sexual orientation.
NBA star Draymond Green says Fever ‘needs an enforcer’ after hard foul on Kaitlyn Clark
Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark (No. 22) reacts during the second half of a game against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 30, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
“We’d be very naive if we didn’t say that race and sexual orientation played a role in her popularity. A lot of people, including players, are happy about Kaitlyn’s success, which has had a huge impact on the game. But it’s also a little problematic because it speaks to the value and marketability of players who are already here.” Hill told the Los Angeles Times..
It seems it’s not just people outside the league who have issues with Clark. Chicago Sky Guard Chennedy Carter hip-checked Clark during a heated game on Saturday. Carter was initially called for a general foul, but after a league review of the play, it was upgraded to a Flagrant 1 violation.
After the game, when interviewed by the media about the incident, Carter refused to discuss the foul, instead writing “Hoop or shut up” on the X to demand a response.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova slams WNBA players after hard foul on Caitlin Clark
Fox News contributor Joe Concha added that “maybe the WNBA should increase the fines a little bit” to curb such on-court behavior against 22-year-old rookie WNBA players.
Fox News’ Anita Vogel gives a number of reasons why most people don’t like Clark: “They forgot to mention her talent, which means she’s there because of her athleticism.”
““I think it’s great that young women who love to play basketball can look up to her and maybe they’ll aspire to the NBA or WNBA or maybe they’ll be more successful in the future because of her,” Vogel said.
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Fox News’ Ryan Gaydas contributed to this report.
