Megan Rapinoe's wife and podcast co-host, Sue Bird, has decided to leave America alone after seeing the angry reaction of many fans after Caitlin Clark claimed she was the beneficiary of “white privilege.” was convinced that there was a “racial problem.''
After receiving time magazine's Clark, the 2024 Athlete of the Year, spent a significant portion of his interview with the magazine citing “white privilege” and praising the accomplishments of black players in the WNBA.
“I'd like to say I've had everything, but as a white person I have privilege,” Clark said in an interview. “A lot of the really good players in the league were black players, and this league is kind of built on them.
“I think it's really important if we can value that more, highlight that more, talk about it, and continue to invest in the players that make this league great for brands and companies to try and change that.” We have to continue to do that. If we can lift up more black women, that's going to be great.”
About the latest episode of her podcast Touch more, Bird, along with Rapinoe, called the backlash against the comments evidence that race remains a major issue in the United States.
“This faction of her fan base that we discussed before is now tired of her admitting it, and it just shows that they're not really here for basketball.” Bird said. “…By the way, this just proves that we have a racial problem in this country. To me, it just seems to prove that. And where I landed was , I think you might want to ask some questions.”
Bird wondered if there would have been any backlash if a black player had been fouled as badly as Clark in his rookie season.
“Personally, I think she deserves to be Timed Athlete of the Year,” Bird continued. “I think she earned it, and she's like, 'I worked hard enough to earn this.' I agree with that and acknowledge her white privilege. I know you're talking about my experience, and I have to admit that in my experience, I won the championship and I did what I had to do. I'm also willing to admit that there is another part.
“And to me, it's just the world we live in, and to say it doesn't exist is to say we don't actually live in the same world, we don't see the same things, and obviously That's the root of not just women's basketball, but literally every conversation we see today in our country.”
Rapinoe chimed in, slamming conservative media outlets that had largely supported Clark during the season but were now critical of her comments about “white privilege.”
“I think what Caitlin did in the quote and in the article was speak out about white privilege, and that's what's gotten a lot of criticism and backlash, and that's the lesson.” said Rapinoe. “So what conservative media is going at her with right now is obviously they’re just showing everything that they are.
“I think it says a lot if fans are upset about what she said and how she acknowledged the truth. But the more I spoke to her directly, the clearer my stance became. I don't think that's a good idea. As a white player, I don't leave your beliefs or stance open to any interpretation.
“You're taking up space and owning the story. Another thing I always think about and try to be aware of is the positive stories in women's sport, in that field, quote unquote. Whenever there is, it's something I want others to be aware of, and I'm immediately bombarded with divisive stories.
“But what we all need to know is that whenever there's some positive news or honestly any news in women's sports, it's like it's quickly flooded with crazy and really divisive stories. And when we as athletes are being used, when your narrative is being used, when your “like” is being used, what you're saying. When is it being used?
“It's like an ecosystem of people in women's sports who really care, whether it's the athletes, the fans, the owners, the people who work with the teams, whatever. For example, when do you have this kind of meta-narrative or divisiveness? Is it being used in a narrative? Be really smart about that.”
