Caitlin Clark responds to her name being used to push ‘agendas’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been thrown into controversies throughout the start of her rookie season in the WNBA.
On Thursday at shootaround, she was asked about how she feels about people using her name to fight “culture wars.”
“It’s not something I can control, so I don’t put too much thought or time into thinking about things like that and, to be honest, I don’t see a lot of it,” Clark said. “Like I’ve said, basketball is my job. Everything on the outside, I can’t control that. So I’m not going to spend time thinking about that. People can talk about what they want to talk about. Create conversations about whatever it is. But, I think for myself, I’m just here to play basketball. I’m here to have fun. I’m trying to help our team win.”
She was then asked about how the outside noise affects her ability to make relationships with other players around the league.
“I think everybody in the league understands, one, we’re excited about all this attention we’re getting,” Clark said. “We’re appreciative of it. I think the league has been great for a really long time. But, my focus is on my teammates. They’ve been amazing. I don’t think it’s impacted me making relationships on my team. I’m not obviously talking to people on other teams on a daily basis. I have so much to focus on here. Getting my teammates to trust me is my main focus. Same with our coaching staff, same with this organization.”
The Athletic’s Jim Trotter wrapped up his conversation with Clark during morning shootaround with the following question: Are you bothered if folks would attempt to weaponize your name in whatever fight they’re fighting?
“No. I don’t see it,” Clark responded. “That’s not where my focus is. My focus is here and on basketball. That’s where it needs to be and that’s where it has been and I’m just trying to get better on a daily basis.”
Clark’s comments at shootaround on Thursday sparked conversations on social media. Dijonai Carrington, Connecticut Sun guard, had this to say about it on X (formerly Twitter).
Carrington was brought into the discourse on Monday during the game between the Fever and the Sun. Carrington mocked Clark after Clark drew a foul on Carrington. The Sun guard reacted by throwing her head back, mocking how Clark drew the foul.
Later in the day on Thursday, Clark was made available again to the media before the Fever’s game against the Atlanta Dream.
James Boyd of The Athletic followed up on Clark’s comments from shootaround earlier in the day, asking her about her about her name being used in conversations which sometimes turn towards racism and misogyny.
“I think it’s disappointing,” Clark said. “I think everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect. People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It’s disapproving. It’s not acceptable.
“This league is a league I grew up admiring and wanting to be a part of,” Clark said. “Some of the women in this league were my biggest idols and role models growing up, and helped me want to achieve this moment right here that I get to play in every single night. So, just treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect I think is just a basic human thing that everybody should do. Just be a kind person and treat them how you would want to be treated. I think it’s very simple.”
Clark scored seven points in the Fever’s win against the Dream on Thursday.