Former ESPN and Fox Sports 1 featured reporter Skip Bayless said he avoided expressing support for Kaitlyn Clark because he felt it would inflame already-rising racial tensions.
Bayless, who has never shied away from controversy in other media outlets, argued on Thursday's podcast that his support for Clark would be perceived as “a white Republican man rooting for a white Republican woman.”
“Deep down, I started thinking, 'Wait a minute, she's actually a nice person.' admit “I felt guilty saying it on TV and on social media. I didn't want to appear as a white Republican man rooting for a white Republican woman. I feel like this country is already racially divided enough. I didn't want to add fuel to that fire,” Bayless said.
Bayless didn't seem guilty about criticizing Clark, as he did when he questioned Clark's mind in June.
“Kaitlyn, I don't know if she has that dog in her,” Bayless said, “I know she has the talent, I know she has the talent to shoot from distance, I know she definitely has the talent to pass the basketball, but I don't know if she has that dog in her, because I'm starting to wonder. I know it's very early, but what I'm saying is, after what I saw on Sunday, I'm starting to wonder.”
Bayless made it clear that he withheld his endorsement because he felt Caitlin Clark was being used as a “symbol for the right's victory.”
“Maybe I was wrong, but Caitlin Clark was starting to feel like some kind of new right-wing symbol: 'White women dominating a game that's been dominated by black men and women for years.' I could almost hear some people thinking, 'White power, baby!' And I'm not saying Caitlin Clark's politics or beliefs are far-right; I have no idea what her politics or religion are, because she's already been so damn slammed, and has carefully and wisely avoided taking a stance as a newcomer.”
“I know what a source of pride basketball has been for the black community in this country. Black men and women have clearly always been consistently good at basketball.”
The racial dynamics that Bayless mentions about Clark are ever-present. Her rivalry with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who is black, dates back to her high school days. The two faced off twice in the Women's Final Four during their collegiate years, with two memorable games in which Reese's LSU team won Game 1 and Clark won Game 2 the following year. In the WNBA, Reese and Clark faced off four times, with Clark's team, the Fever, winning three times.
During Clark's rookie season in the WNBA, she was frequently the target of hard fouls from veteran players, almost all of whom were black, bringing racial dynamics into sharp focus.
Despite the visible aggression on the court, Kaitlyn Clark has never complained about racism or asked for preferential treatment, while rival Angel Reese has accused Clark's fans of being racist.
“I really think the fans, her fans, Iowa fans and Indiana fans, are just really running for her. I mean, I respect that and I'm very respectful. But it can also be very disrespectful at times. I think there's a lot of racism when it comes to that,” Reese said on a recent podcast.
