Caitlin Clark insists the intense debate surrounding her every move in the WNBA has not distracted her during her rookie season so far.
Clark has complained that players have escaped punishment for being too physical when facing her in the league, a big topic of debate after Chennedy Carter subjected her to a body check in a recent game against the Chicago Sky.
Clark, 22, was also controversially passed over by the United States women’s basketball team for the Paris Olympics next month.
It has led controversial figures such as Clay Travis and Jason Whitlock to claim that Clark is being attacked for being a white, straight player. Clark herself has now insisted that she is not paying attention to the social debates around her.
“It’s not something I can control, so I don’t spend too much time thinking about things like that,” he said. ‘To be honest, I don’t see much of that.
#IndianaFeverCaitlin Clark on using her name as a weapon in non-sports topics:
“It’s not something I can control. … And to be honest, I don’t see much of that.”
“People can talk about whatever they want to talk about. … I’m just here to play basketball.”
Questions for @JimTrotter_NFL pic.twitter.com/VhGC7cIgLf
-James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024
Caitlin Clark insists the furious debate over her every move in the WNBA is not a distraction
‘Like I said, basketball is my job. Everything that is outside, I can’t control, so I’m not going to waste time thinking about it.
‘People can talk about what they want to talk about, create conversations about anything. But for my part, I’m just there to play basketball.
‘I’m trying to help my team win. We have won three games and I think we have been in a position to win more than that. My goal is to help us achieve it.”
When asked if her status makes it difficult to develop relationships in the WNBA, she said, “I think the league understands, one, we’re excited about all the attention we’re getting, we appreciate it.”
“The league has been fantastic for a long time. My focus is on my teammates, they’ve been amazing. I don’t think I’ve been impacted by building relationships on my team.
‘Obviously I don’t talk to people from other teams on a daily basis. I have a lot to focus on here, getting my teammates to trust me and do everything is my main focus, same with my coaching staff and this organization.’
She was then asked if she is bothered by people who “try to weaponize her name,” to which she responded, “No, I don’t see it.” That’s not where my attention is.
‘Once again, my focus is here and on basketball. “That’s where it needs to be, where it has been and I’m trying to improve day by day.”
Whitlock said over the weekend that Clark had been excluded from the Olympics roster because of the “black gay mafia.”
He wrote in X: ‘They hate Cait. End of story.’
He continued in a separate post: “The decision makers in women’s basketball are not stupid. They have been bullied by BLM-LGBTQIA+Silent P Alphabet mob fans.
‘The same cowardice that built George Floyd statues, made Juneteenth a federal holiday, codified same-sex marriage, allows drag shows “for kids,” let”Lia Tomas‘Swim… They keep making offers that we don’t reject.’