Caitlin Clark has been getting negative reactions and backlash over the past week for her statement on “white privilege,” which was part of her interview with TIME Magazine as she was awarded 2024 Athlete of The Year. However, analyst Stephen A. Smith has come to Clark’s defense, saying that “her heart is in the right place.”
In one of the recent episodes of his program First Take, Stephen A. Smith touched on the topic of Clark getting backlash over her “white privilege” statement, with part of it coming from black women from the WNBA, who she also stated she wanted to “elevate.”
“She steps out—absolutely no obligation to do so—and she points out the disparity in treatment between her as a white player and black players who preceded her and achieved so much, but lacked the level of recognition she received,” Stephen A. said. “Her heart has been in the right place.”
More than accusations of racism and pandering to DEI agenda, Stephen A. thinks that black women hating on Clark is just a case of people barking up the wrong tree.
“I think it is incredibly important to a lot of the sisters that have played in the WNBA,” he continued. “I also think It embarrasses black players, former and present, or whomever who, may dare I say, have spoken against Caitlin Clark. Because what they did is they looked at white privilege and they resented her for it as if she was somebody that caused it.”
Stephen A. emphasized that the fact that Clark went out her way is further proof of her hear being “in the right place.”
“She didn’t have to do those things but she’s done those things which is further evidence that her heart has always been in the right place.”
Credit: AP Photo
Stephen A. Smith Calls Caitlin Clark “A Sister”
Stephen A. Smith has come to Clark’s defense previously, as he called the WNBA star “a sister” for “looking out for everybody else.”
“She can ball,” he said. “And oh, by the way, she was a great ambassador for the game. And by the way, she came in there and looked out for everybody else. That’s who Caitlin Clark is.”
“That’s why white, black or otherwise, I call her a sister,” he added. “Cause she looked out for the sisters and everybody else in between. Yes, she did.”
Caitlin Clark, amidst the waves of reaction her TIME interview garnered, has yet to respond to any comments thrown at her so far.
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