Caitlin Clark rose to WNBA stardom in the past year with Indiana Fever, setting records in her rookie season. Unfortunately, her success has also brought increased online abuse and racism from fans, prompting players like DiJonai Carrington and Angel Reese to speak out. New York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones recently shared her perspective on the issue.
“I think many Caitlin Clark fans used her as a catalyst for their own beliefs and behaviors,” Jones said on “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark.
She noted the backlash Clark faced when she supported Kamala Harris on social media, attributing it to fans wanting Clark to conform to their racist views. “She’s not like that,” Jones emphasized.
Jones pointed out that it wasn’t necessarily Fever fans but individuals who projected their biases onto Clark. “They became Caitlin Clark fans assuming that. Now they have to backtrack,” she added.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever looks on during warmups before playing the Connecticut Sun (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
Clark has been vocal in condemning racism within the WNBA. She called out abusers, stressing that no player deserves such treatment. “It’s definitely upsetting,” she expressed in a video shared by James Boyd of the Athletic.
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Jonquel Jones’ opinion echoes Sue Bird’s comments on the matter
Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm also expressed a similar sentiment on her podcast with Megan Rapinoe, “A Touch More.” She asserted that Clark wasn’t the cause of racism in the WNBA but was being used as a pawn.
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“In that way, I do think Caitlin is being used as a pawn. Caitlin didn’t bring racism to the WNBA. This has been happening,” Bird emphasized.
