“Rigged job” – Jason Whitlock calls out TIME for snubbing Caitlin Clark while honoring A’ja Wilson as ‘Woman of the Year’

Veteran analyst Jason Whitlock is seemingly on Caitlin Clark’s side again a couple of months after calling the WNBA Rookie of the Year “woke.” Clark is preparing for the 2025 season, but her name is already involved in controversies.

In a clip shared on Friday, Whitlock went after TIME for picking A’ja Wilson and Jordan Chiles “Women of the Year” over Caitlin Clark and Simone Biles. Talking with co-host Steve Kim, Whitlock said:

“I’m sitting here going, ‘Women of the Year’ is a basketball player, and her name isn’t ‘Caitlin Clark.’ Who had more impact on the game of basketball, men or women, other than Caitlin Clark?

“They somehow found the second-best woman in the WNBA. Great numbers but didn’t win a championship, didn’t make it to the Finals, but they all decided in some sort of rigged job that A’ja Wilson is whoever everybody has to promote,” Whitlock said.

He added that Simone Biles did a terrific job in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and should have been named the Women of the Year over other gymnasts.

Whitlock mentioned that Biles returned to competitions after a four-year hiatus and did it in a big fashion, collecting several medals.

Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles featured on highest-earning female athletes

Clark and Biles’ connection doesn’t end with Jason Whitlock, as the pair was featured on Sportico’s highest-earning female athletes list in December. Biles and Clark suffered from the same issue: their professional salaries are nothing in comparison to what they make in endorsements.

Clark’s name was bigger than the WNBA at times, and the money she made during the year is major proof of the love and interest she received from fans during her rookie campaign. According to Sportico, Clark made $11.1 million this year, which placed her at 10th on the top-15 list.

Clark made $76,535 in WNBA salary, nothing compared to the $11 million she received in 2024. As for Simone Biles, she only made $25K more than Clark last year.

Caitlin Clark is preparing for her second WNBA season after becoming the league’s Rookie of the Year, taking the Indiana Fever to the postseason and bringing plenty of new fans to the competition.

After being named TIME’s Athlete of the Year, it’s odd not to see Clark and Biles among the 13 players celebrated by the magazine.

Edited by Bhargav