Sheila Johnson, the billionaire co-owner of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, has criticized Time for naming Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark as its “Athlete of the Year.”
On Tuesday, Time awarded the honor to the Indiana Fever rookie after her outstanding year, during which she shattered multiple college, WNBA, and broadcast records.
However, in an interview with CNN Sport, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), Sheila Johnson suggested that the media should focus on promoting players across all leagues, rather than solely spotlighting Clark’s achievements.
Sheila Johnson calling out Time for giving award to Caitlin Clark
“We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don’t think we can pin it on just one player,” Johnson remarked in her appearance on CNN Sport.
Sheila Johnson also tackled race, stating, “It’s just the structure of the way media plays out race. I’m going to be very honest. I feel really bad because I’ve seen so many players of color that are equally as talented and they never got the recognition they should have. And I think that right now it is time for that to happen.”
Caitlin Clark is undoubtedly one of the best basketball players in the world, but the context, history, and narratives surrounding the sport have shaped how she is perceived, and not always in the most positive light.
In her rookie season, she tried to stay neutral, but that only led people from all sides to project their concerns and values onto her. Now, as Clark seeks to take more control over her status and the attention she receives, it has sparked a fresh wave of frustrations and resentments from both sides.
“This year, something clicked with the WNBA and it’s because of the draft of players that came in. It’s not just Caitlin Clark, it’s [Angel] Reese. We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized. And I don’t think we can just pin it on one player,” the Mystics co-owner continued.
“When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings,” Johnson also said.
Clark’s amazing career so far
Clark became the all-time leading scorer in Division I basketball, for both men and women, set the WNBA’s records for single-game and single-season assists, became the first rookie to achieve a triple-double (finishing with two), and broke the rookie scoring and 3-point records.
Throughout her college and WNBA career, Clark has been cast in an on-court rivalry with fellow star Reese. While this rivalry has helped elevate the game, it has also ignited conversations about race in the U.S.
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In September, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert likened their rivalry to that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the late 1970s and 1980s. That era came to define the NBA for a time, but the narrative often unfolded along racial lines, pitting a Black man against a White man.
The Caitlin Clark effect
In her first season with the Indiana Fever, Clark won the Rookie of the Year award and earned a spot on the All-WNBA first team, becoming the first rookie to achieve this since 2008.
Her debut season has also coincided with an extraordinary rise in coverage of the league, with viewership numbers consistently being surpassed. The league’s overall attendance rose by 48% year-on-year, reaching its highest level in over two decades. This trend has been dubbed “The Caitlin Clark effect.”
Another result of Clark’s success has been a rise in commercial partnerships, which Johnson suggests may cause resentment among her peers. Notably, Clark is said to have signed an eight-year, $28 million deal with Nike, including a signature shoe.
Clark has stayed in the spotlight even after the WNBA season ended. She stood out as the featured player at an LPGA event, participated in the pro-am, enjoyed attending multiple Taylor Swift concerts, and attracted attention from Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 basketball league created by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, which will begin next month.
