Caitlin Clark is everything the WNBA sorely needs: a talented, charismatic young player that will, perhaps, encourage people to attend games. But at least one player in the foundering league sees a major problem with her — she’s the wrong color.
People were showing up to see Clark well before she was selected first overall in last month’s WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes on two long NCAA Tournament runs in the past two seasons. She is currently the NCAA’s all time leading scorer in women’s basketball and a two-time player of the year.
But those accolades are not enough for A’ja Wilson, also a WNBA player and, by most accounts, a good one who was also drafted first overall back in 2018 by the Las Vegas Aces. According to Wilson, Clark gets special treatment because she’s white.
When asked about Clark’s race in connection with signing endorsement deals by the AP, Wilson replied, “I think it’s a huge thing. I think a lot of people may say it’s not about Black and white, but to me, it is.”
“It really is because you can be top notch at what you are as a Black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don’t want to see,” Wilson said. “They don’t see it as marketable, so it doesn’t matter how hard I work. It doesn’t matter what we all do as Black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug. That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is.”
“I think there’s opportunities for every single player in women’s basketball,” Clark responded. “I think the more opportunities we can give across the board, that’s what’s going to elevate women’s basketball.”
“It doesn’t need to be just one or two players, and I think that even goes back to college. The parity in women’s basketball is what’s making more people want to come watch it. I think the more we can spread the love, show people, show their talent, show their teams — that’s just going to continue to elevate it,” Clark said.
“I think that’s the biggest thing. I’ve had a lot of fun being in the spotlight and helping grow this game and move it forward, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do. But I think I know firsthand how talented this league is, whether it was me as a young kid or whether it’s me now playing here … the more we can share the love, the better this league’s going to be.”
The 27-year-old Wilson is one of the most talented players in the WNBA. A two-time league MVP, two-time defensive player of the year, and a two-time champion, including last year, she is on pace to be one of the greatest players in the league’s history. On Saturday, Nike announced that it’s giving Wilson a signature shoe, an honor reserved for such female luminaries as tennis greats Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. The deal will reportedly pay her $28 million over eight years.
Yet no one outside of the WNBA knows who Wilson is. Perhaps that makes her bitter, and that’s why she is race-baiting. But Wilson should be happy that Clark, no matter her color, is raising the profile of the sport. When more people watch, there can be more money and shoe deals for more women.
