Caitlin Clark's fame accused of being earned through 'race and sexuality' by ex-ESPN host

Caitlin Clark, who dominated the NCAA throughout the last year as she broke all-time shooting records held for decades before being selected as the overall first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, has been told her fame is to do with her “race and sexuality” by an ex-ESPN host.

Jemele Hill, who worked for the network between 2006-2018, suggested that the Indiana Fever star hasn’t totally earned her own status as the face of the WNBA, despite her dominant college run resulting in sold-out arenas as people clamoured to watch her star for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Hill believes that it’s to do with the 22-year-old being both white and straight as the WNBA possesses a reported 70% total of black players and around 33% LBGTQ+ members, yet it’s Clark who has become synonymous with the league.

“We would all be very naive if we didn’t say race and her sexuality played a role in her popularity,” Jemele Hill told the LA Times. “While so many people are happy for Caitlin‘s success – including the players; this has had such an enormous impact on the game.

“There is a part of it that is a little problematic because of what it says about the worth and the marketability of the players who are already there.”

Clark‘s success manifesting in the form of a contract with Nike worth an astonishing $28m as she helps breathe life into women’s basketball is also problematic, believing it is overlooking black women.

“There’s plenty of room to highlight and celebrate Caitlin Clark‘s popularity,” Hill added. “While also discussing ways in which to not erase black women from a league that they have built and continue to build.”

Clark’s in the middle of a racism storm

Hill is far from the first person to talk about how Clark is a model marketing tool for the WNBA to appeal to a wide audience from the American and western world population, as she builds upon comments made by A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.

Wilson could feel aggrieved by the popularity around Clark as the 27-year-old, who was selected as the first pick of 2018, has managed to become a two-time champion with the Aces, a Finals MVP and two-time WNBA MVP but she doesn’t enjoy the same amount of fame as Clark does.

“I think it’s a huge thing. I think a lot of people may say it’s not about black and white, but to me, it is,” Wilson said to media. “It really is because you can be top-notch at what you are as a black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don’t want to see.

“They don’t see it as marketable, so it doesn’t matter how hard I work. It doesn’t matter what we all do as black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug. That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is.”