Caitlin Clark recently raised hackles when she responded to critics of her having been named Time Magazine’s Athlete Of The Year with a load of “woke” codswallop. But recognizing that her words were crap doesn’t mean that I agree with the “beatdown” she’s taking from her fair-weather fans.
Caitlin Clark is still the extraordinary talent whose selection to join the WNBA’s Indiana Fever dramatically, and singlehandedly, gave a huge boost to both attendance and revenues. As good as many are, no female in the WNBA can hold a candle to this young woman from Iowa. Her God-given talents, coupled with her work ethic and great attitude, simply make her the best, by a country mile.
First, let’s look at the impact of Caitlin Clark on the league. Viewership of WNBA TV overall increased by 300%, and viewership of Caitlin’s games, specifically, were 200% greater than games in which she wasn’t playing. WNBA merch sales increased by 500%, and who was number one? Yup . . . Caitlin Clark. Experts say that Caitlin was responsible for 26.5% of all WNBA revenues last season. If that doesn’t get your attention, nothing will.
And what greeted the rookie on the court, even from her own team? Not hugs and kisses, that’s for sure. Not even her most vocal enemies would pretend that Caitlin hasn’t been the target of vicious and flagrant fouls that are largely ignored by the officials. Her own teammates set her up for opposing players to abuse. How do those players get away with it? I’m guessing there are many reasons . . . “guessing” because I don’t follow the WNBA that closely.
In fact, I had never watched a WNBA game before Caitlin Clark. I do love basketball. I come from a “basketball” city. My state’s university has flirted on the fringes of major college basketball for nearly 50 years. I’m a fan. But women’s basketball simply isn’t the same game, not in college and certainly not in the pros. Women dominate in other sports – the public doesn’t watch and enjoy men’s gymnastics or figure skating to the degree they watch women in those sports. Women’s soccer, tennis, swimming and, to a lesser degree, golf are about on a par with the men.
But no one preferred giving their money to watch women play football or basketball. It’s simply not that interesting . . . until Caitlin Clark. Now, I’m going to qualify that statement a little. After Caitlin was drafted, I watched a little WNBA, and I did note that the skill levels seem to have improved. That’s great. But let’s not kid ourselves. Women still can’t outplay the men in basketball. They still need a phenomenal event or player to attract viewers.
That “phenom” was Caitlin Clark, and the rest of the league have proven themselves to be jealous, racist, violent and, generally, despicable in their behavior toward Ms. Clark. Clark 
is so superior that she is capable of giving as much as she gets, but she shouldn’t have to. Caitlin’s real “crime” is that she is white, heterosexual and extraordinarily skilled in a world that is predominately black, homosexual and the “best of the rest.”
Other establishment WNBA players explained their disapproval of Time Magazine’s naming Caitlin “Athlete Of the Year” by reminding us that all those lesser athletes actually built the WNBA. Indeed they did, in that they were there first. And they will forever be “first.” But the league they built lost huge sums of money every season, season after season. No one watched their games on television and no one attended their games. One could say that the owners and investors kept them all afloat until someone came along that might make them all some money.
No one can deny all the facts I offered above. Facts are facts. They can pretend that they live in an alternative universe where they work as hard, play as well and uphold the higher ideals of competitive sports, playing by the rules – little things like not assaulting opposing players – but nobody would buy it. So, why on earth would Caitlin Clark feel the need to apologize for being white? I think I like the Stockholm Syndrome explanation.
If that young woman wants to continue doing what she loves, she will always be outnumbered at least 5 to 1, maybe seven if the refs play the way they have so far. She is literally captive to the hostility and racism in her world. Yeah, I’d probably take the side of my captors too. I’m sure she believes it will earn her some measure of goodwill. I’m afraid she’s mistaken. People who are consumed by hatred and envy don’t suddenly become one of the good guys.
Caitlin really has only one path. Play the way only she can play and shut them all up with her dazzling ability.
