Following this week’s WNBA Playoff showdown with the Indiana Fever, Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas called out Indiana Fever fans for “racial comments” she and her teammates received. And Caitlin Clark made it pretty clear she would not stand for it.
“I think in my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments (like those) from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Thomas said according to the Indy Star. “It’s unacceptable, honestly, and there’s no place for it. We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media, and there’s no place for it.”
This week, Caitlin Clark was asked about those comments, and she was quick to condemn the racism.
“It’s definitely upsetting,” Clark said according to the Indy Star. “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,” Clark said. “But there are a lot of really good fans, whether they’ve been fans for 20-plus years or whether they are new fans in our league, I think continuing to uplift this league in a very positive light is the best thing we can do because there are so many great players, so many great teams, so many positive storylines that can be written and celebrated, and for me, that’s why I became a fan of this league because these people were my idols.
“I grew up wanting to be like them, so I think continuing to uplift and represent this league in a positive way is the best thing that we can do.”
These comments from Clark led to a lot of reactions on social media.
“Caitlin Clark is only 22 years old and has handled being a pawn in a bizarre culture war as well as she can,” one fan said.
“How many times does she have to be asked about this like it’s her fault any of this is happening, and like she’s not also the target of endless vitriol on social media. She just wants to play basketball,” Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post said.
“Nobody could say it any better… no teleprompter, no cheat sheet, just a poised person who can think on their feet & speak wisdom and unity off the cuff… How? Because it’s natural to her… We need more of that…” another fan said.
“It needs to be repeated often that Caitlin Clark didn’t ask for any of this, and attaching her character to the ugly behavior of some of the people who call themselves her fans — they aren’t her fans but people who have weaponized her to express their hatred of Black and LGBTQ+ women — is wildly unfair,” Jemele Hill said.
Clearly, people were glad to hear Clark speak up even though it was an unfair situation for her.
