Watching Caitlin Clark Play Basketball Is the True Privilege
Leave Caitlin Clark alone. Enough is enough. She is a 22-year-old basketball player, not a world leader. Yet the way media and social media react to anything she says or does would make one think she is one of the most polarizing figures alive. When in fact, she is not controversial at all.
In being named Time Athlete of the Year for 2024, Clark addressed nearly every question one could have about her WNBA rookie season. But there is one bit that seems to have been red meat for carnival barkers. Clark's acknowledgment of having privilege "as a white person", and her stated desire to use her platform to help elevate Black women in the league.
Personally, I do not believe privilege has much to do with Clark's success. That has come through her transcendent abilities on the court. No one can convince me that her electric style on the floor isn't what made her a sensation at Iowa and then with the Indiana Fever. This is backed up by any tangible metric; whether that be ratings, attendance, or the WNBA recently being ranked the fastest-growing brand in the USA.
It was also revealed that Clark was the most searched player on Basketball Reference for both the WNBA and NCAA, in every state. And no one is using that site to look up her race.
Caitlin Clark was the most viewed WNBA player & Women’s CBB player in EVERY state this year. pic.twitter.com/1GxhnxcpdO
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) December 10, 2024
It's almost as if everyone forgets she set the all-time college scoring record at Iowa, while leading the nation in both points and assists. Then went into the professional ranks and rewrote the WNBA's rookie record book, reaching All-WNBA First Team status in the process.
Clark is captivating on the court. Her logo threes have brought a dimension to the women's game that was not seen before. While her vision on the floor is as good as anyone who has ever laced them up, male or female. The folks who are filling up arenas and turning on televisions are doing so because of basketball.
Could her being white help boost Clark's popularity to a degree? Sure. Most matters are not black and white, after all. For instance, Eminem's record sales were likely higher because of his skin color and the demographic that it appealed to, but his rise was rooted in rapping.
In other words, talent and hard work were common denominators that did more of the heavy lifting in each instance.
Besides, Clark's comments were positive in nature and meant to be a recognition of her peers. One of the biggest benefits of the boost the league has seen since her arrival is that fans got to see how deep and talented the WNBA truly is. Her sentiment was probably appreciated by many. And anyone who didn't like what she said could have simply moved on.
But that is never the case with Clark, since the extremes on every end love to attach her to their agendas for engagement. On one side, she can never say or do enough to make up for being as popular as she is, while happening to be white. On the other, she is accused of pandering for not bashing and wanting to elevate other players who perhaps have not gotten the shine they've deserved in the past.
It's absurd either way. Clark is being discussed like a diplomat when she's simply a 22-year-old hooper. For a young woman to handle herself with so much class under enormous pressure is to be lauded and applauded, not warped to feed people's feeds. Athletes are not generally discussed through this prism to the degree we've seen here with her. However, that's because most of the folks doing the yapping are not fans of the game in the first place.
Surely no one in the stands is having these irrational discussions when in the building to catch the Fever because real fans are paying money to see her play. Clark is the true definition of a generational talent, one who has altered the course of the women's game forever.
That's because watching Caitlin Clark play basketball is the true privilege.
There is nothing controversial about Caitlin Clark! pic.twitter.com/bsW6fAhffa
— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) December 10, 2024
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!