- Caitlin Clark has condemned racist, hateful comments directed at her opponents in the WNBA
- Rookie superstar says people spewing hate are “trolls”
- The WNBA Players Association recently called out commissioner Cathy Engelbert for failing to properly protect players from racist comments and threats
Caitlin Clark spoke out against racist and hateful comments against female players in the WNBA.
Clark, 22, spoke to reporters during exit interviews following the Indiana Fever’s elimination from the postseason, where the rookie phenom was asked about the ongoing discourse surrounding racist comments and threats against her opponents.
“It’s definitely disturbing,” Clark said Friday, Sept. 27, in a video shared by James Boyd of Athletic. “No one in our league should have to deal with any kind of racism, abusive, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats,” she continued.
The Fever newcomer said that many people spewing hate parade themselves as fans to push a hateful agenda. “That’s not fans, that’s trolls, and that’s a real disservice to the people of our league, the organization and the WNBA.”
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Clark told the media, “But there are a lot of really good fans, whether they’re 20-plus fans or new fans to our league, I think continuing to elevate this league in a very positive light is the best thing we can do.”
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The AP Rookie of the Year said there are “so many great players” and “great teams” in the league with “a lot of positive stories to write and celebrate” in the WNBA, rather than pitting players against each other, unlike viewers who compared her to Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese this season.
“As far as I’m concerned, that’s why I became a fan of this league,” Clark said of the WNBA’s talented players. “Those people were my idols. I grew up wanting to be like them, so I think continuing to elevate and represent this league in a positive way is the best thing we can do,” she concluded.
Caitlin Clark #22 from the Indiana Fever.
Joe Buglewicz/Getty
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On September 25, sportswriter Frankie de la Cretaz posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) from the Fever’s playoff game against the Connecticut Sun, revealing that several instances of racism had occurred in the arena.
“I’m at the Sun/Fever game and the atmosphere is AWESOME,” de la Cretaz wrote. “The woman behind me was making fun of DiJonai’s eyelashes and only stopped when my partner turned around and told her to stop being racist. There’s a man in a MAGA hat. Then there’s THIS woman in a ban nails t-shirt and comic book fake nails .”
Earlier this month, Women’s National Basketball Association CEO Terri Jackson issued a statement calling out WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s comments in an interview regarding Clark and Reese, 22.
During Engelbert’s appearance on CNBC A powerful lunchthe commissioner was asked how she tries to “step forward” against the racist and misogynist vibe, and how she tries to “smother” it when some fans use a “darker” and “threatening” tone when talking about female basketball players in a way “where race is introduced into the conversation, where sometimes brings sexuality into the conversation.”
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Engelbert, 59, compared the rookies to NBA Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and noted how the rivalry is good for the league’s viewership and business — a response that didn’t sit well with many players in her league.
“This is not about rivalries or iconic figures driving the business model,” Jackson he said in a statement regarding Engelbert’s response. “This type of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It requires immediate action and, frankly, should have been addressed long ago.”
“Racism, and the toll it takes on everyone, is never tolerated, let alone justified, in the name of economic growth,” Jackson said.
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Source: HIS Education