Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has played a significant role in elevating the popularity of the WNBA, while also acknowledging the pivotal contributions of Black stars to the league’s foundation.
Clark, who was honored as Time’s 2024 Athlete of the Year on Dec. 10, shared her thoughts on her position within the league’s legacy of talent.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” she acknowledged. “A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them.”
“The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important,” she continued. “I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
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Clark’s reflections touch on her acknowledgment of white privilege, stemming from historic racism and biases.
The topic of race surfaced frequently during Clark’s Rookie of the Year campaign, involving reported rivalries, on-court confrontations, and comparisons of popularity with established Black stars in the league.
A’ja Wilson, a three-time WNBA MVP from the Las Vegas Aces, addressed the impact of Clark’s presence on other players, underscoring the importance of recognizing and supporting Black women in the league.
Black players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Cynthia Cooper, and Maya Moore played pivotal roles in establishing the WNBA as a premier women’s basketball league, alongside white stars such as Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart.
Clark downplayed any significance of hard fouls from Black players on her popularity, emphasizing the physical nature of basketball. She also disengages from attempts to fuel confrontations or rivalries on the court related to race.
“A lot of people that wanted to have opinions on what was happening probably didn’t even watch half the games that they were trying to have a take on and hadn’t supported the W for a really long time,” she remarked.
