Washington Mystic co-owner Sheila Johnson questioned Time Magazine for awarding the Athlete of the Year to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and putting her on the cover during an inflection point in the WNBA.
“Why couldn’t they have put the whole WNBA on that cover and said the WNBA is the League of the Year because of all the talent that we have,” Johnson asked in an interview with CNN Sports. “Because when you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings.
“And so now you’re starting to hear stories of racism within the WNBA, and I don’t want to hear that we have got to operate and become stronger as a league and respect everybody that’s playing and their talents.”
Mystics owner: “Why couldn’t they have put the whole WNBA on the cover & said The WNBA is the league of the year? When you single out 1 player it creates hard feelings.”
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It’s no question Clark elevated the WNBA to a whole new spotlight last season during her maiden campaign.
The WNBA attendance has experienced a major spike — 48% year-on-year to its highest level in over 20 years — with Clark’s arrival.
Johnson’s Mystics benefited the most from Clark’s skyrocketing popularity.
Clarks’ regular season finale against the Mystics on September 19 was the largest in WNBA history, drawing 20,711.
The game was played at Capital One Arena, the Washington Wizards’ NBA home court, to accommodate the record crowd. The Mystics’ home court at Entertainment & Sports Arena only has a capacity of 4,200.
According to Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds, Fever games have attracted an average of 16,084 attendance per game, while non-Fever games only drew 8,552 per game, a stark 88% difference.
Clark’s star power has also translated well into the TV ratings.
Fox executive Michael Mulvihill reported that Clark’s games on TV averaged 1.178 million viewers, per New York Post. Clark’s games tripled the viewers for all other WNBA games, which only drew an average of 394,000.
Racial Undertone in WNBA’s Most Popular Rivalry
Clark, last season’s No. 1 overall pick, solidified her star status in the league when she became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year award and was named to the All-WNBA first team since 2008.
However, Johnson refuted it was not only Clark who fueled the WNBA’s rise as the No. 1 fastest-growing brand of 2024.
“This year, something clicked with the WNBA, and it’s because of the draft of players that came in. It’s not just Caitlin Clark, it’s [Angel] Reese [as well]. We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don’t think we can just pin it on one player.”
But it isn’t only Clark who’s being recognized by the media. Reese has also graced the cover of Sports Illustrated.
The rivalry between the two WNBA rookies was born last year when Reese, who starred for LSU Tigers, walked around the court celebrating her team’s victory over Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes by pointing at her finger and mimicking Clark’s “You can’t see me” celebration.
The marketing effect of their rivalry was often compared to the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry, which the Los Angeles Lakers legend even agreed, in the 80s that saved the NBA’s rapidly declining attendance and TV ratings.
However, the Mystic owner voiced her concern over this type of media coverage.
“I’m concerned about the infighting and the racial innuendos going on because that’s going to turn advertisers away from us,” Johnson said in the CNN Sports interview.
Caitlin Clark Speaks Up For Black Players
Clark is well aware of the racial discourse around her in the WNBA.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege,” Clark said in the Time interview.
Clark also used the spotlight on her to share it with the black players in the league.
“A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.
“I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
Mystics Owner Calls For Sit-Down Meeting
Johnson appreciated Clark’s gesture, though she noted that it shouldn’t be the case.
“She shouldn’t have had to say that, but I applaud her for saying it,” Johnson said. “We cannot continue to operate because this division of racism is going to tear us apart.”
Johnson suggested that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert should sit down with all the players and league stakeholders and even bring a psychologist in.
“Because not only what’s going through with the WNBA is happening in society as well,” Johnson said. “We’re seeing it more and more from the ‘Karens’ that you see on social media. This has got to stop. We need to have a healthier America. And more than anything, I want to have a very healthy league.”
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