Jemele Hill

So it's not surprising she would have a problem with Caitlyn Clark actually acknowledging the contributions, the sweat equity that Black women have put into this game. And you can tell a lot.

Let me just big picture this real quick, though, Dan, is that as Caitlin Clark's popularity was rising and particularly after it exploded when her and Angel Reese met in that national championship game, she did the infamous Angel Reese John Cena motion. And we saw a certain section of people galvanizing around Caitlin Clark. We saw it then and it only continued to grow. And there was a

Let me just big picture this real quick, though, Dan, is that as Caitlin Clark's popularity was rising and particularly after it exploded when her and Angel Reese met in that national championship game, she did the infamous Angel Reese John Cena motion. And we saw a certain section of people galvanizing around Caitlin Clark. We saw it then and it only continued to grow. And there was a

Nice amount of disingenuous people who were not basketball fans, certainly not women's or they were not women's basketball fans. To be clear, they were not fans of women's basketball. But Caitlin Clark became their avatar.

Nice amount of disingenuous people who were not basketball fans, certainly not women's or they were not women's basketball fans. To be clear, they were not fans of women's basketball. But Caitlin Clark became their avatar.

She became their vessel to express a lot of the hateful and racist opinions that they had about black women, about queer women and about the WNBA overall to some degree about all women.

She became their vessel to express a lot of the hateful and racist opinions that they had about black women, about queer women and about the WNBA overall to some degree about all women.

so she became their sort of bat signal for that and now that we're learning more about caitlyn clark and this by the way this was not the first time she said this it may be the first time she really said it at length and because she didn't do that many one-on-ones uh this year in 2024 but she certainly have been have been she's been asked questions sort of along these same lines before and uh you know while she didn't specifically mention white privilege see she has certainly

so she became their sort of bat signal for that and now that we're learning more about caitlyn clark and this by the way this was not the first time she said this it may be the first time she really said it at length and because she didn't do that many one-on-ones uh this year in 2024 but she certainly have been have been she's been asked questions sort of along these same lines before and uh you know while she didn't specifically mention white privilege see she has certainly

always had a level of respect and reverence for the pioneers that came before i mean one of the viral moments involving caitlyn clark was when she finally met maya moore maya moore is her favorite player ever and that by the way shows the growth of the wmba you know a lot of the players that when the wmba first started they had no professional model to look at in america to say oh i grew up watching this you know professional women's player because that

always had a level of respect and reverence for the pioneers that came before i mean one of the viral moments involving caitlyn clark was when she finally met maya moore maya moore is her favorite player ever and that by the way shows the growth of the wmba you know a lot of the players that when the wmba first started they had no professional model to look at in america to say oh i grew up watching this you know professional women's player because that

possibility didn't exist. Caitlin Clark represents the generation that actually grew up watching the WNBA, familiarizing herself with this league, understanding the legacy and the history of this league. And all she was doing is giving a nod to that.

possibility didn't exist. Caitlin Clark represents the generation that actually grew up watching the WNBA, familiarizing herself with this league, understanding the legacy and the history of this league. And all she was doing is giving a nod to that.

And she knows, like a lot of white players in the WNBA know, and they've said it, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, is that they get elevated, they get marketed, they get pushed in a way that black women in that league who have accomplished similar things do not

And she knows, like a lot of white players in the WNBA know, and they've said it, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, is that they get elevated, they get marketed, they get pushed in a way that black women in that league who have accomplished similar things do not

Get the same endorsement opportunities, the same marketing, the marketing riddle of the WNBA prior to this moment has been how do you market a league that is 70 percent black where a third of the players identify as queer? How do you do that? And that it has been a lot of marketing challenges. mistakes the WNBA has made in trying to sort of minimize that part of their identity.

Get the same endorsement opportunities, the same marketing, the marketing riddle of the WNBA prior to this moment has been how do you market a league that is 70 percent black where a third of the players identify as queer? How do you do that? And that it has been a lot of marketing challenges. mistakes the WNBA has made in trying to sort of minimize that part of their identity.

Or, you know, a lot of people have certainly for years speculated that they push certain players because they're trying to kind of galvanize and interest white America with players they believe that they will get behind. So this has been a long standing conversation in the WNBA. And Caitlin Clark, in her sense of leadership, I mean, she just stated the obvious.

Or, you know, a lot of people have certainly for years speculated that they push certain players because they're trying to kind of galvanize and interest white America with players they believe that they will get behind. So this has been a long standing conversation in the WNBA. And Caitlin Clark, in her sense of leadership, I mean, she just stated the obvious.

And now she has some very predictable people angry at her because they never were fans of hers. They just like the idea of weaponizing her success against other black women who they can't stand.