Caitlin Clark has been the biggest story in college basketball for two years thanks to her run to two national title games that capped an unprecedented college career.
But since she’s set to play in her first regular-season WNBA game whether she likes it or not, discussions have arisen about her career and her transition to playing professional baseball.
She hasn’t said anything that would fuel tensions between black and white players. However, the deals she has already signed have sparked conversations about double standards in women’s professional basketball, even before her WNBA career has officially begun.
‘I think it’s something huge. “I think a lot of people might say it’s not black and white, but for me it is,” Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson said when asked in an interview with the Associated Press about the element. racial in Clark’s popularity and before. He recently signed two major endorsement deals.
“It’s really because you can be great at who you are as a black woman, but maybe that’s something people don’t want to see.
Caitlin Clark’s career is ‘a huge thing,’ according to Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson
Wilson says ‘it makes my blood boil’ when people think race is not a marketing factor
‘They don’t see you as marketable, so it doesn’t matter how hard you work. No matter what we all do as black women, we are still going to be swept under the rug. That’s why my blood boils when people say it’s not about race, because it is.
Sports can be elevated by heated rivalry, especially when it comes to race.
Clark’s rise came with an on-court bravado that made her must-watch television as she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA championship game appearances.
At Iowa, Clark’s on-court rival in the NCAA Tournament was former LSU star Angel Reese. He then faced the South Carolina women’s giant and coach Dawn Staley.
The matchups sparked moments that swept the sports world beyond women’s college basketball, capturing an entirely new audience.
But the clashes also led to ongoing discussions about how race plays a factor in the treatment of Clark, a white woman from the ‘heartland of America,’ compared to her black counterparts like Reese.
Clark has said that she and Reese are just pieces of a larger movement.
“I would say Angel and I have always been great competitors,” Clark said before Iowa’s Elite Eight matchup with Reese and LSU in March.
Clark has only played preseason games, but she has already boosted the popularity of the WNBA
Clark’s college rivalry with LSU could be a reason to increase women’s basketball viewership
Clark believes his rivalry with LSU and Angel Reese was part of a larger movement
“I think Angel would say the same thing, like it’s not just us in women’s basketball. That’s not the only competitive aspect of our game, and that’s what makes it so good. We need multiple people to be really good.”
Still, the racial debate over perceived slights toward black players or favoritism toward Clark isn’t going away as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft prepares for its first regular-season game Tuesday night when Indiana plays against Connecticut.
“I think new fans, or maybe returning fans to women’s college basketball, have been attracted. Partly because of Clark. But also, you know, because of the rivalry between LSU and Iowa,” said Victoria Jackson, historian of sports and associate clinical professor of history at Arizona State University.
“There are basketball-related reasons,” Jackson said, “but there are also racial reasons why Clark has been able to reach a completely different stratosphere than the players who came before her.”
Clark’s first preseason game was transmittedbut not Reese’s. yes reese talk trash, it is considered unsportsmanlike. If Clark does it, she’ll be being competitive.
Reese received some criticism for going to the Met Gala before a game. raising questions Would there have been the same kind of scrutiny if Clark had appeared on the red carpet?
Wilson, who signed with Gatorade last week and announced Saturday that he will receive an exclusive shoe from Nike, and others have cited how companies are clamoring to do business with Clark as an example of the disparity in how players are treated. .
Nike even gave Clark an exclusive shoe before giving one to Wilson, who is a multiple-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP.
Before Wilson’s announcement, only three other WNBA players had signature shoes.
The deal Clark struck with Nike will reportedly pay her $28 million over eight years, making it the richest endorsement deal for a female basketball player and including an exclusive shoe.
Before Wilson’s announcement Saturday, the only other active players in the WNBA with a signature shoe were Elena Delle Donne, Sabrina Ionescu and Stewart, all white.
Perception extends beyond endorsements.
While Clark’s preseason debut was available on the WNBA League Pass streaming app, a post on the WNBA’s X platform incorrectly stated that all gamesincluding the debut of Reese and fellow rookie former South Carolina standout Kamilla Cardoso for the Chicago Sky, would also be available.
Clark’s rise to the professional ranks came with an on-court bravado that made her must-watch television.
Then a fan who attended the Sky game livestreamed it. It received more than 620,000 visits.
in a apology post explaining Why Sky’s game wasn’t available, the WNBA said Clark’s game was available as part of a limited free preview on its streaming app.
There have also been racial components to the way Clark is treated on social media compared to others, especially Reese.
Reese, who previously spoke out about the vitriol she received online, was attacked again recently after she missed a preseason practice to attend the Met Gala. Clark has also been the target of criticism online, but apparently not to the extent that Reese has been.
