Nothing was off limits for the tennis legend Serena Williams while hosting the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
During her opening monologue, Williams acknowledged the Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark for the three nominations she received, including that of best female athlete of the year.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, is seen after the game against the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 6, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Despite initially praising the WNBA's No. 1 overall pick, Williams joked about the debate surrounding Clark's unprecedented popularity in the league.
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“Caitlin Clark has had an incredible year and is nominated for three awards. Caitlin, you are the Larry Bird “In the sense that you're an incredible player, you have ties to Indiana and white people are really crazy about you.”
However, Williams' joking comment follows his recent advice to Clark, when he suggested that the root of the controversy surrounding his professional debut stems from jealousy.
Presenter Serena Williams speaks onstage during the 2024 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)
“I love that she's tried to keep her feet on the ground and not… look at her social media.” [media]”Williams told The Associated Press last month on the red carpet for the premiere of her new documentary series.
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“I get it. I don't either. And I think it's really important to keep doing what she's doing. And no matter what other people do, if people are negative it's because they can't do what you do, basically. I hope she keeps doing what she's doing.”
Clark has done just that.
Over the weekend, the former Iowa star scored 19 points, dished out 13 assists and grabbed 12 rebounds to become the first rookie to History of the WNBA In 2016, she recorded a triple-double. She also received the most votes for the WNBA All-Star Game, and this week, she became the first WNBA player to record at least 25 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals and five three-pointers in a single game.
Caitlin Clark, No. 22 of the Indiana Fever, drives the ball up the court against the Las Vegas Aces in the first quarter of their game at T-Mobile Arena on July 2, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Despite losing the award for best female athlete of the year to Las Vegas Aces Star A'ja Wilson, who won two awards for her record-breaking performance as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, and as the best collegiate athlete for her basketball career at Iowa, Clark won two awards for her record-breaking performance as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer and as the best collegiate athlete for her basketball career at Iowa.
“I'm a little busy in Indianapolis,” Clark said in a video. “It was a special year for women's athletics.”
Chantz Martin of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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