Caitlin Clark, who has often remained silent about her name being used in cultural debates, is speaking out.
The WNBA phenom was named Time Magazine's Athlete of the Year after putting women's basketball and women's sports on the map.
After she entered the league, some comments were made about her being white.
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 17, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson said the fact that Clark is white is a “huge thing” when it comes to Clark's popularity. Angel Reese even said there was “a lot of racism” from Fever fans in Iowa and Indiana. Connecticut Sun player DeJonai Carrington, who poked Clark in the eye during the Connecticut playoff win over the Fever, previously criticized Clark for not doing more to call out racism. did.
In a conversation with Time magazine, Mr. Clark seemed to agree with Mr. Wilson to some extent.
“I'd like to say I've had everything, but as a white person I have privilege,” Clark told Time magazine. “A lot of the really good players in the league were black players, and this league is kind of built on them.
“If we can value that more, highlight it, talk about it and continue to invest in the players that make this league great, as brands and companies continue to invest in the players that have made this league great, I think that's really important. We have to keep trying to change it. If we can lift up more black women, that's going to be great.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts during the first round of the WNBA playoffs against Connecticut on September 25, 2024 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
WNBA star Caitlin Clark named Time Athlete of the Year after historic season: 'We've only scratched the surface'
In June, Clark said she didn't mind people using her name to impose a narrative on her.
“It's not something I can control. I don't spend a lot of thought and time thinking about things like that. To be honest, I don't really look at it,” Clark said at the time. spoke.
“Like I said before, basketball is my job. Everything outside of it, I can't control. So I'm not going to spend any time thinking about it. People talk about what they want to talk about. I can create a conversation.'' Whatever it is, as myself, I'm here to play basketball, I'm here to help the team win. I was in a position to win a little more than that. To be honest, I'm more focused on helping with that.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever celebrates during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on August 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/NBAE via Getty Images)
Clark said in September that racist fans were “trolls.”
“No one in our league should face racist, disrespectful or hurtful comments or threats of any kind,” she said at the time.
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Clark was named the league's Rookie of the Year and helped lead the league to historic attendance and viewership.
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