The WNBA has been plagued with a lot of heated conversations and controversies outside of the court. A big issue came when DiJonai Carrington got a whistle during the clash between the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever. Who was at the other end of that foul call? It was Caitlin Clark. Since then, a lot of uncomfortable statements have been hurled around at certain players of the league. It has especially affected some more than others.
Racism and misogyny have no space in the WNBA. Chiney Ogwumike has already called out the fans of the league to stop all this hate. But, a lot of them have been throwing around these unsavory statements under the guise of the Fever’s rookie sensation. Caitlin Clark addressed the situation, via Jim Trotter of The Athletic.
“It’s not something I can control. So, I don’t put too much thought and time to thinking about things like that. To be honest, I don’t see a lot of it. Like I’ve said, basketball is my job. Everything on the outside, I can’t control that. So, I’m not going to spend time thinking about that. People can talk about what they want to talk about and create conversations about whatever it is. I think for myself, I’m just here to play basketball. I’m here to have fun. I’m training to help our team win.”
Caitlin Clark then went on to stress how these statements do not enter her mind quite a lot. Instead, she is devoting all her energy to getting the Fever more than three wins this season after they got caught up in a horrendous start. She then truly made a plea for the WNBA faithful to stop having these terrible conversations. She urged avid spectators to stop using her name in discussions that do not involve the game.
“I think it’s disappointing. Everyone in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect. People should not be using my name to push those agendas.”
While others understood the place that Clark was coming from, DiJonai Carrington thought of the Fever rookie’s statement as a non-answer. The Sun forward who recently made headlines after the gesture she made against Clark outlined her dismay after hearing what was said.
“Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts. We all see the sh*t. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury.”
There is a lot to be said about how stars need to take steps to ensure that their fanbases no longer do things like this. The Fever star may focus on her love for the game. But, whatever is surrounding the WNBA has clearly become toxic. Hopefully, these issues find their resolution soon. The world is surely bigger than a court with four corners and two hanging rims.