Caitiln Clark came into the WNBA with a Michael Jordan-like shoe deal, but she has received Jackie Robinson-like treatment instead as some fans see it.
Fans dubbed her “the Jackie Robinson of the WNBA” on June 1 after Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter called Clark and expletive and shoved her to the court during the Indiana Fever‘s 71-70 win. Sky rookie forward Angel Reese noticeably got up from the bench and cheered Carter’s shove.
“Watching Caitlin Clark in the #WNBA is what I think it was like for Jackie Robinson breaking into the #MLB,” @oncesince40 wrote on X, formerly Twitter on June 1. “The hate and cheap shots from her opponents is wild.”
Jackie Robinson Broke the Color Barrier Amid Hatred 77 Years Ago
Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB in 1947 with the then-Brooklyn Dodgers after the big leagues had been dominated by white males since 1884. Teammates didn’t support him, opponents targeted him, and fans made racial slurs. It all didn’t stop him from producing a Hall of Fame career in the end and transforming the American sports landscape.
Seventy-seven years later, Clark, a white female, enters a league largely dominated by women of color. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, Clark drew unprecedented attention to the WNBA as the No. 1 pick because of her basketball prowess, but similar incidents to Carter’s have stirred pot among fans.
One fan, @WarClandestine, noted that “if the roles were reversed, and Caitlin Clark was black, and her bullies were white, every single woke sports outlet and journo would be losing their minds and calling it racism” in a June 1 post.
Media, Former Pro Athletes Take Notice of Hatred Toward Caitlin Clark
Negative attitudes toward Clark haven’t gone unnoticed by the media and former professional athletes. Former NBA superstar and current TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley pointed out the hatred toward Clark.
“You women out there, y’all petty man,” Barkley said during a May 22 broadcast, which also involved NBA superstar LeBron James. “Hey LeBron, you’re 100% right on these girls hating on Caitlin Clark. Y’all petty, girls. I expected men to be petty cause we’re the most insecure group in the world.”
“Y’all should be thanking that girl for getting y’all [expletive] private charters. All the money and visibility she’s bringing to the WNBA. What she’s accomplished — give her her flowers. Stop being petty all you women out there … Caitlin Clark, thank you for bringing all that money and shine to the WNBA,” Barkley added.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, who had been broadcasting with ESPN through the 2023 season, called out Carter’s actions toward Clark on June 1. That’s just days after Griffin called players’ aggression toward Clark just aggression.
“Okay, this is hating on Caitlin Clark. Face guarding, extremely aggressive play and the occasional hard foul can be describe[d] as competitiveness,” Griffin wrote on X. “Going out of your way to call her out of her name and body check her to the floor without the ball is hating.”
Former NFL tight end Ben Watson took a more reserved approach in reaction to Carter’s shove of Clark.
“Don’t know if this is rookie hazing or what. Every sport gives young players a hard time but stuff getting out of hand with Clark. Hope she lights it up,” Watson wrote on X.
Clark didn’t light it up on June 1 when she scored 11 points on 4-11 shooting in 37 minutes. Her start to her WNBA career hasn’t matched her collegiate dominance amid 17.6 points per game, but national microscope on her career amid polarized viewpoints continues.
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