With Caitlin Clark in the spotlight for the WNBA, Michael Wilbon called out the national media for failing to recognize the aspect of race.
Chennedy Carter’s hard foul on Clark during Saturday’s WNBA matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever invited a lot of takes from media members, with Stephen A. Smith, Monica McNutt, Pat McAfee, and Sean Hannity among those weighing in. But according to Wilbon, much of the national media has missed the mark.
Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon on Caitlin Clark.
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“The discussion about Caitlin Clark needs to be much larger than that and it needs to be much more nuanced, and it needs to be honest and it’s not honest,” Wilbon told Tony Kornheiser Monday evening on Pardon the Interruption. “On your podcast I talked about how angry I am about national media which only wants to write about analytics and doesn’t want to get into substance of things that are sensitive that might be the third rail everyone’s afraid to touch. We’re not going to be afraid here. The discussion about Caitlin Clark has to deal with – and I mean initially and loudly – race. Race and culture in America. That’s part of this. And basketball is the place where it’s more often discussed historically.”
Wilbon proceeded to reference the impact Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s rivalry had on the NBA, linking it to Clark’s current influence on the WNBA.
“It’s ok for people to admit they identify with someone,” Wilbon said. “I identify with people…who are people of color. It’s ok to identify that. You’re not going to find that white American star in men’s basketball. Caitlin Clark is that. And she brings people into the tent because she’s great and she’s unique. In this case, she’s white, in a sport of Black people.”
Kornheiser agreed with Wilbon, but added that Clark is being “deliberately” hit by her opponents, claiming the fouls appear more dangerous than a rookie being tested in a new league.
“Is there a living, breathing commissioner in the WNBA?” Kornheiser asked in reference to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Because if there is, that person has to say to all the players in the WNBA and all the coaches in the WNBA, ‘Hey, we’re not gonna have this anymore…’ This season cannot be the hazing of Caitlin Clark.”
“You’re not going to legislate this,” Wilbon pushed back. “It’s never legislated. That resentment that you describe is what we have to get at. And people don’t want to get at it, or they get it clumsily or they’re not sophisticated enough to understand the resentment, why it’s there and how it’s gonna have to play out. Tony, it’s going to have to play out on the court. There’s no commissioner who’s going to legislate that.”
But that resentment is not new to sports. Hard fouls and cheap shots are not new to sports. Race may play a role in Clark’s popularity, but it’s not the only reason why opponents are gearing up to challenge her. It’s not the reason why Diana Taurasi questioned Clark’s ability to dominate at the pro level. These are professional athletes, the best in the world. The fact that their egos are driving them to push back against someone who has been treated as a savior for the league should not be a surprise.
[PTI]
