Let’s have an honest conversation about Caitlin Clark, racism, and media cowardice| Bobby Burack

Three years into her WNBA career, most people still can’t have an honest conversation about Caitlin Clark. So we’ll take one now.

Clark emerged as a phenomenon in his first season at Iowa. Very few people had anything negative to say about him. That changed during the NCAA tournament, when LSU forward Angel Reese taunted Clark with the “You can’t see me” gesture; It was a celebration Clark made famous throughout his college career.

Reese’s taunt sparked criticism online. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy in particular called him a “classless jerk.”

From that moment on, a new narrative emerged stating that Reese received more backlash from Clark for this gesture because he was Black. At this point, Clark was no longer just the sport’s biggest star. It has become a symbol of a broader cultural debate about race.

The argument, of course, ignored an obvious distinction. The “You Can’t See Me” taunt, popularized by John Cena, had become Clark’s signature. Reese deliberately stole it and swung it directly at Clark’s face. In wrestling, this can be seen as classic heel behavior. Context mattered.

But as you’re about to read, facts have little weight in the comments surrounding Caitlin Clark, much of which is fueled by a disgusting combination of race idolatry, jealousy, and sectionalism.

ESPN PUNDIT SAYS CAITLIN CLARK BEING A ‘WHITE GIRL FROM THE MIDDLE OF AMERICA’ HAS HELPED HER CONNECT WITH YOUNG FANS

As Clark’s popularity grew during his rookie season, critics increasingly attributed it to “whiteness” rather than talent, charisma, or style of play. Commentators such as Jemele Hill have argued that Clark’s appeal is inseparable from the fact that she is a heterosexual White woman in a league comprised primarily of Black and lesbian players.

“We would all be so naive if we didn’t say that race and his sexuality played a role in his popularity,” Hill told the Los Angeles Times in 2024.

There is no clear evidence that Clark’s popularity was tied to his race or sexual orientation. If America consistently ranked White athletes above more successful Black athletes, this argument would deserve greater consideration. However, this is not the case.

The biggest stars of American sports over the last three decades are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Patrick Mahomes and Floyd Mayweather. This isn’t exactly the profile of a sports culture looking for the next one Great White hope.

What these athletes have in common is size, personality and aura. Clark is no different from Jordan, Curry, Williams or Mahomes in this regard.

Critics often respond, “But A’ja Wilson is a better actress.”

Actually. Although Nikola Jokić has also been the best basketball player in the world over the last decade, he is not among the most popular players in the NBA. Personality and aura are as important as size to become a star.

Caitlin Clark tries to shoot while getting fouled during a basketball game. (Getty Images/IMAGN Images)

Yet the narrative surrounding Clark spread through sports media and WNBA locker rooms; locker rooms were staffed mostly by black women.

It’s not hard to see where this is going. As society has proven, telling an entire demographic that the success of their white counterparts comes at their direct detriment has consequences. The concept is inherently Marxist.

It is also an effective brainwashing method. Unsurprisingly, Clark entered the WNBA as a target of various Black players.

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Chennedy Carter blindly hip-checked, then shared a social media post encouraging him to “hurt” Clark next time.

DiJonai Carrington poked Clark in the eye during the playoff game and later posted about Clark’s alleged privilege online.

Angel Reese called several hard fouls on Clark and posted a TikTok mocking her as a “white girl afraid to catch a fade.”

Even then, the WNBA media acted as if Clark was responsible for the feud.

New York Times reporters asked Clark twice if she had an obligation to speak on behalf of black women in the league. ESPN commentator David Dennis Jr. said Clark “moral obligation“As a white woman, to defend Black women, even if they were the ones calling her hard foul.

Eventually, Clark acknowledged her own “white privilege” in an interview with Time, possibly while wearing black eyes.

“I want to say I earned everything, but as a white person, there is privilege.”

Think about how extraordinary that moment was. The league’s biggest star felt compelled to acknowledge racial privilege while repeatedly receiving harsh fouls from opponents of different races.

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Think about how extraordinary that moment was. The league’s biggest star felt compelled to acknowledge racial privilege while repeatedly receiving harsh fouls from opponents of different races.

It was unclear whether this feud continued in the second season. Clark played in only 13 games due to various injuries.

This season has cleared all doubts.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is seen after falling in the lane while Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was tracking the ball on June 24, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Last week, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas rammed her fist into Clark’s neck. Officials called no foul. Thomas was subsequently suspended for one match. The game was dangerous, unnecessary, and nowhere close to a legitimate game of basketball.

But some of the media quickly turned to minimizing what viewers were clearly watching.

In one of the most embarrassing chapters in the history of sports talk, ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike defended Thomas on Sunday night, arguing that Thomas played aggressively, Clark embellished contact, and that the game only looked terrible when it slowed down frame by frame.

Ogwumike’s credibility on this issue is already questionable. Last year, Clark amplified the false accusation that fans were making “monkey noises” at Angel Reese; The WNBA later said this claim could not be proven.

OutKick sought comment from Ogwumike and Hannah Storm, who hosted the episode. Neither of them answered.

Elsewhere, Jemele Hill argued that the outrage over Thomas’ shooting reflected hostility toward Black women.

Hill said on Threads: “A lot of this rhetoric from Caitlin Clark is definitely driven by hate or hatred towards Black women. The language that is being said. People suggesting that Alyssa Thomas should be arrested, describing the fouls on CC as ‘assault’ and ‘abuse,’ and even the ridiculous idea that she should pack up and leave the WNBA to ‘humble’ them…all of this is because people want to see Black women put in their place and punished.” “It points to their strange obsession with the subject,” Hill said.

Note: People use the word “assault” because punching someone in the neck is closer to assault by definition than the game of basketball. If other players had fouled Clark, there would be no need for such words.

On another note: Jemele Hill accused OutKick of doing a race-related story last week. She then quickly made the race-related story herself, claiming that the rhetoric was “stemmed from hatred or dislike of Black women.”

Is there anyone in the WNBA TV media space defending Clark other than Lisa Leslie? Or at least argued that this wasn’t a basketball game? Are you going to blame Thomas? It seems like everyone is finding ways to make this game seem normal or make Thomas the victim. It looks weird. As we all saw the video. As former NFL player Geoff Schwartz observes, we’ve all watched football.

It’s not weird. Calculated.

The narrative states that if you support Clark, you do so because he is White and the other players are Black. That’s why few people will defend Clark at the risk of someone labeling him a “racist” or a “saleout.”

But such fear tactics should never get in the way of objective truth. And here’s the truth:

• Caitlin Clark brought women’s basketball into the mainstream.

• Black players and commentators believe she only did this because she was a straight White woman.

• These players resent Clark for this belief.

• Most of the media is too afraid to say this.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark dribbles the ball and Phoenix Mercury forward Valeriane Ayayi defends during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 24, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

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To be clear, Clark is no angel. He complains very often. Although it’s more of a flop than a star player should be, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might argue otherwise.

And all of this is fair to say. This is part of his story. But the idea that he and his White fans are the problem is not real.

The truth is that Black players and the media are uncomfortable with Clark’s stardom. They don’t like it. They don’t believe she fits the WNBA’s preferred culture.

Considering Clark is also the first major White American sports star to emerge after 2020. This gives Black players and commentators a sense of freedom and even courage to discriminate against him on racial grounds.

The WNBA has an opportunity to establish itself as one of America’s top sports leagues. Behind Clark, the league could showcase and nurture other stars around him, including many black players.

Instead, the league as a whole collapsed under the spotlight, frequently leaving Clark out of posters and promotional materials just to demonstrate the league’s virtue.

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The last three seasons have shown that the WNBA is not ready for now. Race idolatry among players, coaches, referees and much of the media runs deep. They would rather remain niche, unprofitable, and irrelevant than reach new heights on the back of a white girl from Iowa.

I wrote a lot of things in this article that will probably disturb people. No problem. The truth is often uncomfortable and troublesome. In the case of Caitlin Clark, that’s why so few people are willing to reveal the truth.