Jason Whitlock is adding fuel to simmering racial tensions in the WNBA by equating white superstar Caitlin Clark to an African-American slave.
“Caitlin Clark is ”Kunta Clark,”” the sports podcaster said, comparing the WNBA Rookie of the Year to the enslaved protagonist of Alex Haley’s 1976 bestseller, Roots. “She is the real slave that everyone else is exploiting for their benefit.”
Whitlock’s comparison followed a series of attacks on black female players, whom she described as “angry black feminists.”
He specifically called out Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, both of whom have been vocal about racist comments directed at players by fans.
“Angel Reese is listed at the top of that list, and now Alyssa Thomas is saying, ‘let me get my piece,'” Whitlock said.
Jason Whitlock says Caitlin Clark is a ‘slave’ being ‘exploited’ by black WNBA players
Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has called for racist fan abuse in the WNBA to stop
Whitlock also accused the Sun’s Dijonai Carrington of intentionally punching Clark in the eye during a recent game, something the Indiana Fever guard has denied.
“Caitlin Clark got poked in the eye and got hurt, black eye, you can still see the black eye,” Whitlock said Friday, as quoted by Fox Sports Radio 790.
After the most successful regular season in league history, the current WNBA postseason runs the risk of being overshadowed by controversy. While many Clark fans have accused the league of conspiring against its biggest star, several players have expressed frustration over racist abuse from fans.
“I don’t think in my 11-year career I’ve ever experienced racial comments like those from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Thomas said Thursday.
Clark addressed racist comments directed at his Black colleagues with reporters Friday following the Indiana Fever’s first-round playoff loss at the hands of the Sun.
“It’s definitely disturbing,” Clark said Friday morning. ‘No one in our league should face any type of racism, hurtful, disrespectful and hateful comments and threats. Those are not fans. “Those are trolls and it is a disservice to the people of our league, the organization, the WNBA.”
Alyssa Thomas spoke out about ‘unacceptable’ racist abuse from Indiana Fever fans
Things were bad enough that the WNBA addressed the issue in a statement this week.
“The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world,” the league’s statement read. “While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league.”
Meanwhile, FOX Sports analyst Nick Wright insists racists used Clark’s popularity to spread hate toward black WNBA players.
During the 2024 WNBA season, the No. 1 overall pick raised the league’s attendance and viewership numbers to new heights following her collegiate career at the University of Iowa.
“You have a lot of new fans because Caitlin Clark is box office,” the FS1 host said on his show What’s Wright. “But unfortunately, inevitably, and the league should have seen this train coming down the tracks, there were people on that train who weren’t basketball fans, who weren’t even real Caitlin Clark fans.”
