Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark is currently the hottest star in women’s basketball, and for good reason. She is the NCAA’s all-time leading women’s scorer, breaking her NCAA record for most points scored in a tournament, and the first to achieve more than 3,300 points, more than 900 assists and more than 800 rebounds in a career. He is considered a Division 1 player. .
Clark’s extraordinary talent has sparked a bit of a frenzy in the women’s basketball world. Because of her, ticket prices have skyrocketed, lines of eager fans have rushed to get her autographs, and more people than ever have turned out to watch women’s basketball live and on TV. Crowded.
Popular news outlets call this the “Caitlin Clark effect.”
But, as always, such wild popularity comes at a price. What are the inevitable consequences of unparalleled success?
person you dislike. And Clark certainly has a lot.
One of them is none other than three-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes. She was the first woman to sign with the WNBA and set the NCAA record for most points in a tournament in 1993 – until Clark broke it in 2023.
Jason Whitlock plays a clip of Swoop discussing Clark’s success, or lack of success in her opinion.
“I think if you’re going to break a record, if it’s legitimate, you have to break that record in the same amount of time you want to break it. [the former record-holder] Set it up,” Swoopes said. “So if Kelsey Plumb set that record in four years, Kaitlyn should have broken that record in four years.”
“But since it was the year of the pandemic…she had another year left to break that record, but is that really a broken record?…I don’t think so. ” Swoopes continued, suggesting that Clark didn’t deserve the praise. “But Caitlin Clark is the greatest of all time, so it’s going to go in the record books…but it’s going to be a 25-year-old and a 20-year-old going against each other.”
Unfortunately, Swoopes is completely wrong. Caitlin Clark just turned 22 years old on January 22, 2024.
She’s also completely wrong when it comes to athletes’ shots per game. Swoopes claims that Clark takes “approximately 40 shots per game,” while statistics show Clark has taken “an average of 19.7 shots per game over his career.” did.
“It’s so hateful [and] There’s a lot of bad information out there,” Whitlock said. Given that Clark is a straight, white man, his haters are not only guilty of jealousy, but also of racism and heterophobia.
“Because she’s not a member of the team LGBTQ, she’s going to face a level of racism from black players, and she’s going to face a level of hostility from lesbian players as well. She’s Catholic. [and] “She has a boyfriend,” he explains, which means “she’s walking into a very hostile environment.”
Steve Kim agreed, adding that Clark would receive the most hate from his future teammates if he joined the WNBA.
“When she gets into the WNBA, games that would probably have 2,000 to 3,000 people suddenly turn out to be 10,000 people” — many of whom will be wearing “Caitlin Clark paraphernalia” — And after the game, people said, “They’re going to pass all of their teammates,” who have been in the league for seven or eight years and could have had a more illustrious career. [Clark’s] It’s a sign,” Steve predicts.
“Sponsorship agreements will be made with Caitlin Clark. All games that must be played for teams within the league. [will be for] Caitlin Clark. … The dynamics in the locker room and the ridicule she will face as time goes on will be very interesting,” he continued, adding that Clark will be portrayed as “the great white hope, the savior of the WNBA.” He added that it was highly likely.
Whitlocks agrees, but believes that along with her opponents and teammates, “the media will be complicit in disparaging Caitlin Clark.” That’s because it’s what an awakened person should do.
To hear the entire conversation, watch the clip below.
Want to see more of Jason Whitlock’s work?
To enjoy more fearless conversations with Jason Whitlock at the intersection of culture, faith, sports, and comedy, Sign up for BlazeTV — The largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, protect the Constitution and live the American Dream.
