The last thing the world needs right now is another middle-aged, white man from Iowa weighing in on Caitlin Clark’s bumpy rookie reception in the WNBA.
But guess what? You’re getting one!
In my defense, I’ve written about Iowa athletes for two decades on Hawkeye Report, so I have more bona fides than many of my pasty Midwestern bros, er, brethren. My typing fingers may be as Cheeto-stained as any other angry internet commenter, but I at least have some perspective.
The Clark phenomenon has sparked much racial animus, misogyny, apologies, non-apologies and vitriol across what feels like every corner of the Internet – from sport journalism websites to mommy blogs and everything in between. Everyone has a Caitlin-in-the-WNBA hot take.
These debates have predictably fallen along familiar political and social lines. The usual suspects love casting Clark’s imperfect start and the not-so-friendly reception from league veterans as a lens on their particular grievance du jour.
Some insist her popularity is stratospheric only because she’s a white heterosexual in a league that’s always been a comfortable home for minorities and LGBTQ folks. Some swear the cheap shots and animus stem primarily from petty jealousy by players who previously toiled nearly anonymously and that the wunderkind from Iowa hasn’t earned superstardom yet. The Black players in the WNBA are racist because they hate Clark’s whiteness, some insist. Those who lambast the mean players are the real racists, because they use terms like “thugs,” others assert.
Some say the newfound popularity of the league will wane quickly if Clark isn’t treated better. Others say the rookie hasn’t earned special treatment and hasn’t lived up to outsized expectations.
All in all, it’s a lot.
I am not a “both sides” person and I have my personal opinion on a few of these matters. But more than anything, I wish everyone – media talking heads, outspoken players, the teeming social media masses – would just take a collective breath, settle down and just let these women play basketball for a hot minute.
It is remarkable that the rise of Clark and the new eyeballs on the WNBA have made for a perfect canvas on which to project social grievances. But do we really have to?
Between Pat McAffee (apparently approvingly) calling Clark a “white b—h” and serial shover and cheap shot artist Chennedy Carter glowering that she “ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions” it seems everyone is on edge and hyperbolic about dealing with the unprecedented attention.
Frankly, I am finding it all increasingly cringe-inducing – from both “sides” of the debates.
Ironically, the woman at the center of it all seems the most level-headed and non-triggered by the hoopla. Clark has taken her up-and-down start, physical hazing, too-much losing and too much off-court chatter all in stride, calmly answering questions without generating additional controversy and going about her work adjusting to a new career.
It is refreshing. It is also evidence that even if she is the victim of some “mean girl” targeting, Clark absolutely does not need her fans white knighting her at every instance. Do people really think she wants them calling the WNBA “garbage” and other players in the league jealous racists? No way.
Clark, in case you’ve forgotten, got as tough as she is playing up against older, tougher players – sometimes boys and men. You don’t smash every stat in the NCAA record book and garner multiple player-of-the-year awards if you are mentally or physically soft.
My advice to her fans – and hell, her detractors too – is to sit back and let this play out before coming to grand conclusions or spiking the ball on being right. She likely will continue to experience growing pains and be on the receiving end of physical play as her inaugural season plays out. Let her learn from it, get stronger and better and evolve into the player she is going to be.
Only a fool would bet against her eventually metamorphizing into a superstar.
I’m old enough to remember a rookie Michael Jordan on a mediocre Chicago Bulls team getting pushed around, taunted and thrown to the court by the bullies on the much-better Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks teams. Eventually, MJ got the last laugh. Someday, it might be Caitlin looking at an iPad and chuckling about the fools who thought they had her number.
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