Caitlin Clark has become a lightning rod for controversy despite being largely apolitical. One of the most beloved female players to ever grace a basketball court, Clark has a huge fan base and they're making their voices heard.
When a rivalry erupted in 2023 between Clark, who was playing at the University of Iowa at the time, and LSU's Angel Reese, many of Clark's fans hurled racial insults at Clark's rivals. was criticized as
Major media outlets say Clark's fans and their racism have followed Clark into the WNBA, creating a hostile environment for many players.
Sue Bird, a former WNBA player and partner of radical left-wing former pro soccer player Megan Rapinoe, recently spoke on this subject.
On the podcast “A Touch More,” the former athlete told Rapinoe that “racism was affecting the WNBA long before this year.” In other words, Clark fans are only exacerbating an existing problem.
“I think Kaitlyn is being used as a pawn. Kaitlyn didn't bring racism into the WNBA,” Bird said, adding that being forced to be a social justice warrior is not just about being a basketball player. I went on a long rant about how I could never concentrate.
“We're still not allowed to focus on playing basketball,” Bird lamented.
But where Byrd captures social justice issues, Jason Whitlock captures a plaintive cry for attention.
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
“I wasn't getting any traction with my basketball, so I decided, 'I have to talk about racism and sexism to get attention.'” We sing the national anthem to get attention. You have to kneel inside,” he says, likening the WNBA’s social justice work to “a child who can’t get their parents’ attention.”
And with Caitlin Clark joining the chat, people can finally focus on basketball now that she's brought some proper attention to the league.
“There's a guy here who plays enough basketball to get noticed and now people are actually evaluating him.” [women’s] Basketball,” Jason says.
He said that before Clark, the WNBA lacked a fan base because there were “too many women with tattoos who looked like men.”
“People don't want to see that,” he says.
Then, “Caitlin Clark shows up with a ponytail and no tattoos, plays a brand of basketball that's exciting and fun to watch, and voila, the crowd shows up,” Jason explains.
For more of his analysis, check out the clip above.
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