INDIANAPOLIS — Athletes often speak in generalities as a defense mechanism. Rather than digging deeper into potentially controversial topics or even addressing the issues in the first place, they use clichés and pre-canned talking points to talk about open questions and maintain a safe distance.
I'm inclined to believe that it was Caitlin Clark who did it. Thursday Morning When I asked if it bothered her that fans would use her name as a weapon in the culture wars that are dividing the country, the Indiana Fever star guard didn't close the door on the issue. In fact, she refused to even open it.
“No,” she declared, “I don't see it. I can't see it. My focus is not there. My focus is here, on basketball. That's where it should be and always has been. I'm just trying to get better every day.”
I asked #IndianaFever's Caitlin Clark directly addressed the way her name has been weaponized for racism and misogyny (as DiJonai Carrington alluded to).
“It's a shame. … Everybody in this world deserves the same respect. The women in our league deserve the same respect.” pic.twitter.com/gyAWBqGG8c
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024
It's not surprising that Clark initially tried to avoid the topic. She's a rookie, struggling to find her place on a new team and in a new league. Shots that were so consistent in college are now missing more frequently. She's no longer the reliable closer that made her so popular at Iowa, and her turnover issues have seen her sit on the bench late in games.
But if you've been chosen to be the transcendent rising star that will lead the WNBA to even greater prosperity, you can't hide behind basketball. And you certainly can't do that when people use your name as a vehicle to promote racism, misogyny, homophobia and other social ills. It's true that to whom much is given, much is required.
In professional sports, it's traditional for high-profile rookies to be put to the test — veteran players challenge them to see what they're made of, regardless of sport or gender. But when Carrington fouled Clark and mocked the rookie for what she felt was an exaggerated contact, many of the social media comments were predictable. “Kaitlyn Clark was targeted by black players on Monday, this time in Connecticut,” one person wrote. “Suns (sic) guard Di'Jonai Carrington checked Clark hard and mocked her after the blatant foul. The crowd booed. If the races had been reversed, Carrington would have been ejected.”
Clark didn't comment, but I was curious to know what she thought about people using her name as a tool to divide. Her initial response on Thursday morning was, “It's not something I can control, so I don't really think about that kind of thing or spend a lot of time on it. And, to be honest, I don't really look at it. Like I said, basketball is my job. All the outside stuff is out of my control, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time thinking about it. People can talk about whatever they want to talk about, create whatever conversations they want, but I look at myself, I'm just here to play basketball. I'm just here to have fun. I'm just trying to help my team win. … I don't really pay attention to all that stuff, to be honest.”
But was she being forthright? It has to be said that Clark is 22 years old and faces enormous demands and expectations. That should undoubtedly give her some leeway. And yet, her statement was problematic because it lacked awareness and empathy for fellow Black people who don't have the privilege to distance themselves from the isms they face on a daily basis.
Carrington likens silence to a luxury. I see silence as complicity.
Perhaps she didn't want to address the issue fully because of its sensitivity? Or was she following the advice of her inner circle, including advisers, who thought it was in her interest to keep quiet? It worked for Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, but it sent the message that money is more important than morality. But in a league that is predominantly black and has a sizable LGBTQ+ population, an initial reluctance to stand up against hate and harassment will always be an issue.
Coincidentally, her comments came the same day that the Women's National Basketball Players Association published a column in The Players' Tribune highlighting how proud the association's members are of its history of fighting social injustice. “Our work has always been bigger than basketball,” it said in one passage.
That's why it was important for Clark to reflect on his comments late Thursday night, about an hour before kickoff against the Atlanta Dream. At a time when a growing number of prominent white players are speaking out as allies in the fight against racism and homophobia, Clark risked losing the respect of some of his peers.
For a league that prides itself on inclusion and acceptance, it would have been conspicuous and problematic for its most visible players to have been silent on the sidelines when legendary WNBA guard Sue Bird spoke out in a 2020 CNN article, or when University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers addressed the issue in her 2021 ESPY acceptance speech, or when former Louisiana State University guard Hailey Van Lith said last March that criticism of Black teammates was racist, or when Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink said last week, “I acknowledge that young white players in the league have privilege.”
While no one is asking Clark to become a social activist or take a prominent role in the fight for respect, it is important to her that she at least call out those who may use her name to stoke hatred and division.
“It's unfortunate and unacceptable…” she said before the start of the game about people using her name to push their own ideas. “This is a league that I've looked up to and wanted to be a part of since I was a kid. Some of the women in this league are people I looked up to and looked up to as a kid and were role models. … Treating all women in this league with the same respect is a basic human act that everyone should do. Just be a kind person and treat others how you would like to be treated.”
It may have taken her a while to express that sentiment, but that shouldn't cloud the fact that she finally made it to the right place, and it was a positive step for both her and the league.
(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
