Caitlin Clark doesn’t want to be held responsible for the worst takes about her

Media sessions have been packed events for the Fever this season, but they had little to do with the on-court performance of the league’s worst team. Instead, they were all about Kaitlyn Clark and her story, from Chennedy Carter’s hard foul to the rookie star being cut from Team USA.

Thursday was no different. Photographers flocked to Gainbridge Fieldhouse not because the Fever were back at home for the first time in two weeks, but because of another storyline involving Clark off the court.

At the Fever shootaround in Indiana on Thursday morning, Clark received a call from Jim Trotter. Athletic She is reflecting on how her name was used in the recently flared “culture wars” following her removal from the U.S. Olympic team heading to Paris, sparking strong reactions from fans. Politicians as well.

Her response to a question about it could be seen as an attempt to avoid adding fuel to the fire, but it didn’t do much to put out the fire.

Clark has repeatedly said throughout her rookie season that she has not been on social media or communicated much with league personnel outside of former Iowa teammate Kate Martin, instead focusing on her on-court improvement with her Fever teammates.

But I’m not the only one who found the answer unsatisfying. In fact, DiJonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun took particular issue with Clark’s response, tweeting:

To be clear, and to counter any hateful talk, not all WNBA players feel this way. Speaking on “Podcast P with Paul George,” Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabari offered sympathy for Clark.

“It’s really, really hard to put that much pressure on a young woman to be a voice for something that society as a whole has struggled with in the US and globally and historically,” Sabally said. “Can she talk about white privilege? Of course she can. But does she need to be that voice? I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s fair to put that burden on somebody if it doesn’t come from her.”

Given how little Clark talks about herself on social media, it’s entirely believable that she’s largely unaware of the controversy and culture wars surrounding her name, but it’s also entirely reasonable to expect more from her in calling out bigotry of all kinds.

Clarke may not be responsible for how her name is used, but it would be naive to ignore how it has been used and what has happened to those around her this season. Even if Clarke doesn’t use social media regularly, people like Sky’s Chennedy Carter and Carrington are. It was also a hot topic during Monday’s game against the Fever. He does so after mocking Clark following a foul call.

And these players have been subject to some of the most extreme online harassment, including the racism and bigotry that Carrington tweeted. For example, the Sky hired a man who ambushed players outside their hotel as they got off the bus just days after Carter’s flagrant foul on Clarke.

Clarke’s teammate, Aaliyah Boston, was also caught up in the criticism. After struggling early in the season, Boston deleted social media from her phone due to the amount of hate directed at her.

All of this goes way beyond the usual basketball debate and goes way, way, way worse. Former WNBA player turned ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike: offered an impassioned plea upon Multiple Opportunitiesspeaking out against the polarization surrounding the league. The conversation has shifted away from sports to much more serious discussions about race, gender and sexual orientation, many of which have Clarke’s name at the very center.

Clark didn’t want to be drawn into any of this, he didn’t want to be fouled by Carter, he didn’t want to be cut from the U.S. national team, and he didn’t want his name to be used in the aforementioned culture war.

But while Clark can sit back and ignore the noise, many around her, friend and foe alike, don’t necessarily have the luxury of doing so — and not only does her silence not solve the problem, it could be perceived by some as condoning the behavior.

Given another opportunity to speak on the topic before Thursday’s game against the Dream, Clarke gave a more forceful response to James Boyd’s question. Athletic.

In hindsight, Clarke probably would have chosen the second answer to the first question. Whether the delay was because she realized she needed to phrase her answer better or because a more direct question led to a clearer, more direct answer is unclear, but Clarke’s pre-game comments were much stronger, even if they probably won’t satisfy those who feel she hasn’t done enough to condemn those who use her name to rile up. A story of racism and homophobia.

It’s also important to note that this is Clark’s first time experiencing anything like this. She’s 22 years old and new. WNBAShe has been thrust into the role of spokesperson for an issue that existed long before her, and she may still be new to the position.

College provided her with an insulated environment, and she wasn’t often at the center of these issues, except for a showdown in the national title game against Angel Reese and LSU.

But Iowa is in the past for her. Clark is one of the faces of the WNBA, and rightly or wrongly, anything she says — or in some cases, the lack of it — is subject to a new level of scrutiny. That’s the blessing and curse of living the dream in the public eye.

Clark shouldn’t be held accountable for the worst opinions of her. But as she learned Thursday, staying silent about them isn’t the right approach, either.

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