WNBA Rookie of The Year Caitlin Clark touched on the sensitive issue of racism in women’s sports, how her name has been constantly linked to it by people, and how she plans to use her name and influence to break the cycle and pattern of it in the entirety of women’s sports.
In her interview with TIME, Caitlin Clark discussed the role of race in her success in women’s basketball, and how she plans to break the cycle and “elevate” black women athletes.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said. “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 went on to emphasize that she plans to use her platform to elevate black women in sports.
“I have to continue to try to change that,” Caitlin Clark said. “The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
Caitlin Clark on People “Weaponizing” Her Name: “It’s Disappointing”
The issue of racism is not new to the WNBA, or to any professional women’s sports for that matter. Earlier this year, Las Vegas Aces star and three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson opened up on her feelings about the supposed double standard in the WNBA between white and black women.
Despite not saying a word about the issue, Clark has often found her name dragged in discussions centered on racism, bigotry, and misogyny in women’s sports—something that she doesn’t want people doing to her name.
“I don’t see it,” she said in an earlier interview. “That’s not where my focus is. My focus is here and on basketball. That’s where it needs to be, that’s where it has been, and I’m just trying to get better on a daily basis. People should not be using my name to push those agendas.”
In a separate instance, Caitlin Clark once more touched on how disappointing her “fans” are, who constantly link her name to false issues of racism in sports.
“It’s disappointing,” Caitlin Clark said. “Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.”
I asked #IndianaFever’s Caitlin Clark directly about her name being weaponized for racism/misogyny (as Dijonai Carrington alluded to):
“It’s disappointing. … Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.” pic.twitter.com/gyAWBqGG8c
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
