Caitlin Clark Says WNBA Should Advocate For Black Women More

Caitlin Clark wants Black women to get the proper respect and praise they deserve in the WNBA. On Tuesday (Dec. 10), TIME revealed Caitlin Clark as their athlete of the year and featured an extensive interview with the WNBA rookie. One question found the basketball phenom acknowledging her white privilege. She then went on to explain that, while she worked to get where she is, Black women built up the W, so Black women should be getting more love from the league.

“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark told the publication. “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. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.” 

Elsewhere in the story, Clark finally opened up about not being selected for the 2024 Olympics team. Pundits — and some white fans at the time — were outraged that Caitlin wasn’t tapped for the team. But Caitlin understands that the decision was bigger than her.

“I don’t want to be there because I’m somebody that can bring attention,” she added. “I love that for the game of women’s basketball. But at the same time, I want to be there because they think I’m good enough. I don’t want to be some little person that is kind of dragged around for people to cheer about and only watch because I’m sitting on the bench. That whole narrative kind of upset me. Because that is not fair. It’s disrespectful to the people that were on the team, that had earned it and were really good. And it’s also disrespectful to myself.”

Some white basketball fans have used the Indiana Fever star and other white players as a vehicle for their not-so-veiled racism. One particular incident found A’ja Wilson being attacked by online fans after she praised Kelsey Plum and Paige Bueckers for being aware of their privilege and using it to uplift other women of color.

Caitlin Clark previously called out these fans, dismissing them as “online trolls” and stating that the WNBA has no place for them. During an interview with IndyStar, Clark explained how this “racism” does a “disservice” to the quality of the league and the players.

“It’s definitely upsetting… Nobody really should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls. It’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the players in the WNBA.”

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