Caitlin Clark is the biggest star in the WNBA and thanks to her outstanding college career and professional debut, has become one of the American sports world’s biggest stars. She’s earned every bit of her success by transcending the sport, giving people a personality to root for and paying it off with exceptional performance.
But even she apparently can’t escape the absurdity of woke progressive politics that’s infested the WNBA.
Clark was named Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2024, a reasonable choice considering the impact she’s had. But in a lengthy, far-ranging interview with Time, she essentially apologized for being white and playing in a league dominated by black players.
“I’ve been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women’s sports, let alone women’s basketball, and turn them into fans,” Clark said, acknowledging that she in particular has had an outsized impact on the WNBA.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” she continued.
“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. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 16: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky look on during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark Gives The Equivalent Of A Land Acknowledgment
It’s bizarre that Clark felt the need to include those remarks after saying that she in particular has brought in so many new fans. What exactly is the point of saying that the league was built on black players? What does that have to do with her skillset, performance and success?
If the WNBA had been dominated by white players and a black rookie had the impact Clark’s had, would that player feel the need to talk about “elevating” white women? What does “elevating” them even mean in this context? Should Clark respond to interview questions about her performance in a given game by referencing the work of past black players? Should every athlete of an opposite race from a dominant demographic in a given sport “elevate” the more prominent one?
It’s just performative virtue signaling, and feels like giving in to the pressure she gets from far-left sportswriters and athletes in her sport.
“I tell people I feel like the most controversial person,” she said in ther interview. “But I am not. It’s just because of all the storylines that surround me. I literally try to live and treat everybody in the same exact respectful, kind way. It just confuses me at times.”
To this point, Clark had mostly stayed out of the storylines, letting the made-up controversies go by choosing not to endorse political candidates and avoiding obvious bait. That’s what makes these comments so confusing and ultimately disappointing. If anything, she’s now creating a controversy around her.
