Podcast host Jason Whitlock believes that WNBA players are exhibiting “racist” attitudes toward Caitlin Clark, and major networks, such as ESPN, aren’t reporting it.
Whitlock’s accusation follows yet another incident this weekend, in which the Seattle Storm’s Skylar Diggins-Smith went out of her way and increased her gait to ram into Clark as the #1 overall pick was revving up the Seattle fans.
However, the Diggins-Smith incident is just the most recent. There have been other, far more violent attacks against Clark. Most notably when Chicago’s Chennedy Carter slammed into Clark’s blindside in an unprovoked act.
These actions from black players in the league and the networks’ relative silence about them have Whitlock crying foul.
One of the biggest stories in sports the last year and a half, and the person that should be ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ is Caitlin Clark.
What cannot be discussed is the level of racial animus that is being directed at her. If you’re in independent media, if you’re Twitter you can talk about it all the time, but I have yet to see it discussed on ESPN. Like, ‘holy cow, these hatin’-a** Shaniqua’s,’ this is racism.
They played the Seattle Storm and Noelle Quinn is the Storm’s head coach. Noelle Quinn got into a heated argument with Christie Sides, the head coach of the Indiana Fever at the end of the game.
They got their doors blown off by Caitlin Clark and the Fever and at the end of it, Noelle Quinn starts yelling, screaming, and preaching at Christie Sides. What it was about was at the end of the game, Caitlin Clark, they’re up big, there’s a timeout, she’s down at the end of the court where the Seattle Storm bench is and she’s clapping and motioning to the crowd to keep pumping up the noise.
Skylar Diggins intentionally bumps into Caitlin Clark and carries her into the Storm huddle and sideline area. You can see at the very end of the clip, Noelle Quinn gets triggered.
She gets triggered because she thinks Clark is showing up the Seattle Storm team, but if she had not been bumped into by Skylar Diggins, she would have been nowhere near the Storm bench.
To me, it’s just another example of these black women – they got this animosity.
It’s not all of them but it’s enough of them that seem to be so bothered by the success of Caitlin Clark that they lose their composure, they lose their self-control, they just get triggered by her success, and it’s like no one is talking about it.
The attacks and bullying from other players have certainly not slowed Clark down. The #1 overall draft pick snapped the rookie assist record (224) earlier this week in two fewer games than the previous record holder. She’s also almost the entire reason why the Indiana Fever, the worst team in the league last year, currently possesses the #3 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.
Whitlock believes that Clark’s recent run of success—especially her last 18 games—makes her the second-best player in the league behind Las Vegas’ A’Ja Wilson. However, to Whitlock, the larger story is the league’s treatment of Clark, a situation that he believes would be handled much differently if Clark were black and the players doing the bullying were white.
If you eliminate the first ten games and just evaluate what Clark’s done the last 18 games, she’s the second-best player in the league, and has a case for MVP of the league if you just evaluate the last 18-19 games.
She probably won’t get it next year, but she’ll probably be the best player in the league next year and should be the MVP. Her teammates have jumped on board with her because winning is infectious. They understand a rising tide lifts all boats.
But there is this angry group – Noelle Quinn, Jewell Lloyd won’t talk about her. Even Skylar Diggins, who I like, took that little shove at her. They’re just enraged, jealous, and petty, and – I’m just sorry – it’s racist and it’s bigoted.
If this were happening to a Black player by a bunch of White players, this would be leading Sportscenter every night and every ESPN talk show.
People called me crazy when I said ‘she won’t be facing death threats like Jackie Robinson,’ but this might be more difficult than Jackie Robinson.
Clark and the Fever face the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.