Many have weighed in on whether Caitlin Clark's popularity and success is about more than just basketball. The professional basketball player, 22, was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. However, some have argued that Caitlin Clark's popularity is, in part, about race.
When speaking to the Los Angeles Times, sports journalist and former ESPN personality Jemele Hill said, "We would all be very naive if we didn’t say race and her sexuality played a role in her popularity."
When speaking to the outlet, she said "so many people are happy for Caitlin’s success — including the players," but at the same time, "there is a part of it that is a little problematic because of what it says about the worth and the marketability of the players who are already there.”
Others have weighed in on the topic as well, with The View cohost Sunny Hostin agreeing that Caitlin's "white privilege" should be acknowledged.
"I do think that she is more relatable to more people because she's white, because she's attractive, and unfortunately, there still is that stigma against the LGBTQ+ community," Sunny pointed out.
The Los Angeles Times and Sunny both pointed out that about 70% of WNBA players are Black, and about a third of the players identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, while Caitlin is a straight white woman.
But Whoopi Goldberg argued that Caitlin deserves the attention she's getting. "To have her reduced that way bothered me a lot because this is her record,” Whoopi said. "Unless you can show me who’s got a better record than this, this is why she’s getting the attention she’s getting, because she’s a d— good player and doesn’t matter whether she’s straight or gay, ain’t nobody crying when she’s making those balls.”
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Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson said race does play a role, and it bothers her when people say it doesn't. Speaking to the Associated Press, she said, "It really is [about race] because you can be top notch at what you are as a Black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don’t want to see."
“They don’t see it as marketable, so it doesn’t matter how hard I work. It doesn’t matter what we all do as Black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug. That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is," she told AP.
Stephen A. Smith, the cohost of ESPN’s First Take, also spoke to Us Weekly about the topic.
Though Caitlin is white, he said, she is also "a terrific basketball player."
"Race is always a component we can’t ignore, but it doesn’t always have to be negative. When you look at Caitlin Clark — yes, she’s white, and yes, she’s getting a level of shine that others before her didn’t get who happened to be Black and they were terrific players — but that’s an indictment against society," he told the publication.
