A debate grew earlier this week when Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley claimed other WNBA players were “mean” about Caitlin Clark's stardom.
Angel Reese appeared to take a subtle swipe at Clark in a since-deleted social media post, while A'ja Wilson said race was “a huge factor” in her popularity.
Clark said she doesn't pay attention to such notions, but reigning champion head coach Becky Hammon of Wilson's Las Vegas Aces said such narratives must end.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) heads to the court after a 3-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
“We love Caitlin Clark. I think she's amazing. I watch her every chance I get. Our league loves her. We're just doing our job. We're going to show up. Whoever's on the other team is on the other team. We don't really care, We're going to show up and do it.” Hammon said.
“I think this narrative that everyone hates Caitlin Clark, and even the black and white thing, enough is enough. It's not there. It's not there. So shut out the noise, and black and white, what is it about her, 22? She has “A 22 year old woman with a lot of pressure, she's not perfect, she's a newbie in this league, back off.”
The comment about race is somewhat ironic and damning, since his star player, Wilson, was right next to the coach during the speech, just two weeks after saying that “it's about” “Black and White.”
“It's really because you can be great at who you are as a black woman, but maybe that's something people don't want to see,” Wilson said at the time. “They don't see it as marketable, so no matter how hard I work. No matter what we all do as black women, we're still going to be swept under the rug. That's why it boils over.” “My blood when people say it's not about race because it is.”
Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson. (Getty Images)
ANGEL REESE'S MOM DENIES THAT HER DAUGHTER'S POST
But when Hammon finished speaking, Wilson offered another idea.
“She's learning and growing like everyone else. I feel like people don't give her a chance,” he said. “We tell our rookies every day, this is new. You're entering a whole new world and starting over. So these questions are only annoying because she's young. She's a rookie. You keep asking us these questions like she's a grown woman who's been in this league for years. No, she's doing her job and at the end of the day, that's how we grow, that's when we get better and do things like that.
“I'm just exhausted from the conversation because I know she's exhausted. I can only imagine.”
Before his game on Friday, Clark was asked about the “narratives about the attention” he has received “compared to some of the veterans who have been in this league for a long time.”
“To be honest, I'm not really on social media. I don't read that.” Clark said. “This is my job. My job is to compete and play basketball every day. I think the more attention we can get on every team in this league, that's only going to help me get better and better.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) smiles as she heads onto the court after a 3-point basket in the closing seconds of the game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
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“My job is just to keep showing up and help this team get better. We're fighting for our first win. That's my main goal.”
Clark and the Fever earned their first win on Friday night, thanks to the rookie's 3-pointer down the stretch in front of a star-studded crowd at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles against the Sparks.
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