Caitlin Clark has become a lightning rod for culture war discourse, and that continued last week when the Indiana Fever star was named Time Magazine‘s “Athlete of the Year.”
Specifically, comments Clark made in her interview with the magazine surrounding what she views as “privilege” she is afforded by being a white woman in a predominantly Black league have sparked a number of reactions in both sports and news media.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark told Time. “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. 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. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
Another prominent sports media personality has now weighed in. This time, ESPN NFL analyst and host of the widely popular podcast The Pivot, Ryan Clark, expressed his opinion on the matter earlier this week.
Caitlin Clark deserved the honor of Time Magazine athlete of the year. No singular player has done for a sport what she did for women’s basketball in 2024… Maybe ever.
That’s not where her greatness ended. She’s earned every accolade through hard work. Yet, recognizing her… pic.twitter.com/X44vHfxIyd
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) December 14, 2024
“Obviously, a huge fan of Caitlin Clark the player,” Clark said on The Pivot. “She was a huge draw to the reasons NCAA women’s basketball grew the way it did along with people like Angel Reese and Dawn Staley. And then her next step into the WNBA, it was the same thing. Because of her physical gifts and intangibles as a hooper, more people tapped into it. Caitlin Clark being named Time‘s ‘Athlete of the Year’ is well deserved.
“And on the other side of that, her understanding of what her privilege is as a white woman, and her awareness of what, not only Black women have done to build the league and to build the game, but what life is like for them based on the color of their skin is, as you said, beyond her years as it comes to wisdom. But it’s also the microcosm of what sports are supposed to be.”
Ryan Clark then discussed the onslaught of criticism Caitlin Clark has received from some in the media for simply expressing her own opinion.
“In being an ally, and in being a voice, and then using her platform, she’s even being attacked by those that look like her. Megyn Kelly said that Caitlin Clark was on her knee apologizing. And Caitlin eloquently answered it, ‘No. I just think I’m aware. I’ve always tried to understand what was going on around me. And I’ve always focused on blocking out the noise.’
“And it seems like because Caitlin Clark, just simply based on her color, she became an idol or she became a trophy piece for the white community in a sport that was dominated by Black women. And they wanted to set her apart when all she’s truly ever wanted to do was be apart of the team.”
Since her ascent into stardom, Caitlin Clark has done everything she can to stay above the fray, but hasn’t been afraid to express her opinions in settings like the Time interview. Nevertheless, pundits across the media landscape will latch onto anything she says in order to advance their own views.
Ryan Clark has made no bones about where he stands on political issues in the past, but he seems to acknowledge that Caitlin Clark has become an unfair target. She clearly doesn’t want to be an icon on either side of the political aisle, but that doesn’t stop her from saying what she believes is right.
The whole saga is a manifestation of what much of the media, especially political punditry, has become. Caitlin Clark acknowledging that the WNBA was in large part built on the backs of Black women isn’t exactly a controversial statement given who makes up the vast majority of players in that league.
But of course, the culture war isn’t much of a place for nuanced opinions these days. So Caitlin Clark has become a lightning rod for the reasons Ryan Clark smartly laid out, even though she probably doesn’t want it that way.
[The Pivot]
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.