WNBA rookie phenom Caitlin Clark must have known she deserved it.
Still, it was a shock to see Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter deliberately plant her shoulder on a defenseless Clark and send her sprawling to the court in Saturday’s game.
That moment has now transcended the world of sports. Everyone talks about women’s professional basketball.
The fact that Carter appeared to mutter ‘Yo, bitch’ before slamming into Clark made the blow even more jarring.
That Sky’s Angel Reese, another rookie, celebrated her teammate’s unsportsmanlike side upset a lot of people.
Was it a low blow?
Surely everyone agrees that this was the case.
It was a shock to see Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter deliberately plant her shoulder on a defenseless Clark and send her sprawling to the court in Saturday’s game.
And did it have anything to do with Clark being one of the first white superstars in the WNBA?
I think the answer is also – without a doubt – yes.
Racial conflicts in the United States are very real, and those tensions often manifest on our courts and fields.
That tribalism bubbled beneath the surface of one of the greatest rivalries in NBA history: between Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics in the 1980s.
Unfortunately, racial divisions will not be resolved overnight by sports commentators or armchair referees. So if Caitlin Clark wants to have a future in this league, she’s going to have to get him off her back.
Ever since Clark, 22, entered the professional ranks after a celebrated college career, he has had a target on his back.
The fact that she broke almost every record in women’s college dance meant that every opponent she faced was going to attack her, testing to see if she would live up to the hype.
His number one draft pick by the Indiana Fever raised the bar even higher, as did his $28 million endorsement deal with Nike.
But perhaps above all, Clark’s race has put her in the spotlight.
Critics openly alleged that Clark is a beneficiary of so-called racial “privilege.”
“It doesn’t matter how hard he works,” A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces said in May when Clark made his debut. “No matter what we all do as black women, we’re still going to be swept under the rug.”
That sentiment has been promoted in the media by people like The View’s Sunny Hostin and former ESPN pundit Jemele Hill.
“I think she’s easier to relate to because she’s white, because she’s attractive,” Hill said last month.
Did it have anything to do with Clark being one of the first white superstars in the WNBA? I think the answer is yes.
Critics openly alleged that Clark is a beneficiary of so-called racial “privilege.” I can’t imagine a black player, with Clark’s obvious skills and accomplishments, facing such resistance.
On top of that, the fact that Clark has become a multimillionaire in a league where the starting salary is less than $65,000 has certainly made other, less wealthy players jealous.
Players like Sky’s Angel Reese have made their enmity very clear.
“The reason (fans) watch women’s basketball is not just because of one person,” Reese told reporters Monday. ‘It’s my fault too. I want everyone to realize that.’
I can’t imagine a black player – with Clark’s obvious skills and accomplishments – facing such resistance.
It’s also absurd that women’s basketball fans, who have long complained that the WNBA hasn’t gotten the attention and advertising dollars it deserves, are now complaining that the fame and attention is going to the wrong person. .
But, to be clear, it would be equally absurd for Clark or any of his defenders to start complaining.
During my football career, there were always players in the locker room who were willing to mistreat the opponent’s star player. We were never explicitly instructed to target specific individuals, but it was unequivocally encouraged.
No one in the Chicago Sky locker room is going to be ashamed of what happened, nor should they.
Rough play throws some players off their game.
But the greatest athletes of all time rise to the occasion. And that’s why Clark and his teammates have only one way to respond: by winning.
Michael Jordan faced a similarly rude welcome at the start of his professional career.
Third pick in the NBA draft, he had already surprised the country as the leader of the 1982 North Carolina Tar Heels champion team. But Isaiah Thomas and his ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons couldn’t care less.
The Pistons played with a hard ball, and Jordan was often the unfortunate recipient of their flying elbows and hip checks.
On top of that, the fact that Clark has become a multimillionaire in a league where the starting salary is less than $65,000 has certainly made other, less wealthy players jealous.
But aside from biting the ears of apathetic referees, Jordan never gave up the pressure or trusted the Zebras to protect him.
Instead, he trained longer, conditioned himself more, got bigger, and earned the respect of his teammates who came to support him because he knew that’s what it was going to take.
Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors’ infamous enforcer, has asked the Indiana Fever to invest in a player to protect Clark on the court.
I could not agree more. If Clark gets fouled hard every time he drives in the lane, these beatings will take their toll. His teammates must defend her and make it clear to opposing teams that if they attack her, there will be retaliation.
Jordan was tested, as were Lebron James and Kobe Bryant decades later.
Their determination to succeed in the face of fierce (and yes, unfair) competition inspired fans and elevated their games beyond the mundane to true showcases of the best of humanity.
Today’s modern NBA was built on Jordan’s shoulders.
Whether her detractors like it or not, the WNBA can be built on Caitlin Clark… if she can carry the weight.