Caitlin Clark Caves to Woke Mob

The WNBA had its best year ever, achieving record viewership, attendance, and social media engagement, yet it still lost $40 million. The report has revealed a fundamental issue with the league’s profitability, as it has never been financially successful.

Caitlin Clark, named TIME’s “Athlete of the Year,” acknowledged the role of Black players in the league but faced criticism for her comments on privilege and the league’s struggles. Clark said, “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege.”

Clark added, “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.”

Clark said, “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.”

Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly wrote, “She’s on the knee all but apologizing for being white and getting attention. The self-flagellation.”

Kelly stated, “The ‘oh pls pay attention to the black players who are REALLY the ones you want to celebrate.’ Condescending. Fake. Transparent. Sad.”

WNBA star A’ja Wilson said, “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.”

Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines engaged in a back-and-forth with journalist Jemele Hill, who criticized Clark for her statements.

Hill accused Gaines of hypocrisy, suggesting that Clark’s appreciation for Black women in the league was being dismissed. Gaines responded to Hill by mocking the concept of “White privilege” in the WNBA, emphasizing her admiration for players based on their talent rather than race.

Hill wrote, “You holler all the time about supporting and ‘protecting’ women, and yet the moment that Caitlin Clark expresses appreciation and respect for the Black women in the WNBA (many of whom she grew up watching and idolizing), suddenly you’re acting like a disappointed parent.”

Gaines stated, “‘White privilege’ in the WNBA is literally hilarious. Maybe you’re like Sunny Hostin & think CC also has tall privilege, pretty privilege, and straight privilege.”

Hill made personal remarks about Gaines, referencing her tie with trans athlete Lia Thomas during the 2022 NCAA championships. Hill suggested that Gaines owed her fame to the incident, while Gaines defended herself, arguing that Hill’s comments were misogynistic and dismissive of women’s rights. Gaines has since become a prominent advocate for female athletes regarding trans inclusion in sports.

Gaines quipped, “Being a long-standing professional race baiter must be SO exhausting.”

Hill wrote, “If you’re mad at something so obvious, that means you were never a real fan of hers on the WNBA, you just liked her as long as she could be your avatar to hate on Black and queer women,” adding, “Girl, you need to thank Lia Thomas every day of your life for helping you get famous, otherwise you would have been just a decent college swimmer that no one knew. You wrote the book on grifting — not me.”

Gaines wrote, “How deeply regressive [and] utterly misogynistic for Jemele Hill to tell me to thank a man for the platform I have. Thank him for what? Violating us in the locker room? Stealing a national title from a deserving woman? Indirectly stripping us of our 1A rights? Just say you hate women.”