There has been much discussion surrounding Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark being named Time Athlete of the Year for 2024 earlier this month.
The focus has largely been on Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson’s remarks about Clark not being featured alone on the Time magazine cover on December 13.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes also shared his thoughts on this debate during a recent episode of his “All the Smoke” podcast on December 18.
Barnes expressed his support for Caitlin Clark, acknowledging the challenges she faced and the respect she showed for the Black women who paved the way in the WNBA.
He highlighted the impact Clark has had on the league and encouraged the WNBA to embrace her influence and the new opportunities she has brought.
Barnes emphasized that the WNBA should celebrate Clark’s success and use it to grow the sport, rather than diminish her accomplishments.
He encouraged the league to capitalize on the attention Clark has brought and engage with fans to showcase the excitement of women’s basketball.
“Probably some of the stupidest sh*t I’ve ever heard.”
Matt Barnes addresses the recent criticism from Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson over Caitlin Clark’s comments in her Time Magazine cover story.
New episode of ALL THE SMOKE Unplugged just dropped our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/lBg8wkUO5a
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) December 18, 2024
Only time will tell if the WNBA and its players take heed of Barnes’ advice.
