Caitlin Clark doesn’t need to be held accountable for the worst takes about her

Media classes have been a crowded occasion for the Fever this season, however it’s had little to do with the on-court efficiency of one of many league’s worst groups. As an alternative, it’s typically been about Caitlin Clark and the storylines which have adopted her, from Chennedy Carter’s onerous foul to the rookie sensation being left off Crew USA.

Thursday was no totally different. Cameras flocked to Gainbridge Fieldhouse not as a result of the Fever have been returning residence for the primary time in two weeks, however due to one other storyline about Clark away from the courtroom.

Throughout Fever shootaround on Thursday morning in Indiana, Clark was requested by Jim Trotter of The Athletic for her ideas on her identify being utilized in “tradition wars” which have largely sparked up lately after she was left off the U.S. Olympic roster heading to Paris, making a firestorm of reactions from followers to politicians alike.

Whereas her response to questions on that may very well be considered as an try to keep away from additional stoking the flames, it didn’t do a lot to smother them, both.

Clark has reiterated a number of occasions all through her rookie season that she is each not on social media, and doesn’t talk a lot with these across the league, outdoors of former Iowa teammate Kate Martin. Her focus has been on her Fever teammates and dealing on enhancing on the courtroom.

But when one felt like that reply left one thing to be desired, they weren’t alone. In truth, Dijonai Carrington of the Connecticut Solar took explicit points with Clark’s response and tweeted about it.

To be clear — and to push again on some extra unhealthy religion narratives — not each WNBA participant feels that manner. In an look on “Podcast P with Paul George,” Dallas Wings ahead Satou Sabally supplied empathy for Clark.

“It’s actually, actually onerous to place that a lot stress on a younger girl to be a spokesperson for issues that the USA, and actually globally and traditionally, we have now struggled with as a complete society,” Sabally stated. “Are you able to speak about white privilege? Sure you may. However do it’s important to be the spokesperson for that? I don’t assume so. If that doesn’t come from her, I feel it’s unfair to place that burden on somebody.”

It’s additionally solely plausible that Clark hasn’t seen a lot of the controversy or tradition wars surrounding her identify, contemplating how little she says she is on social media. However it’s additionally solely truthful to anticipate extra out of her in denouncing any form of bigotry as nicely.

Whereas Clark might not be accountable for how her identify is used, it’s additionally naive to disregard the way it’s been used and what has occurred to those that have fallen into her orbit this season. Even when Clark doesn’t usually use social media, the likes of the Sky’s Chennedy Carter and Carrington, who additionally went considerably viral on Monday in her sport towards the Fever after mocking Clark following a foul name, do.

And people gamers have been subjected to among the most excessive nastiness that comes with being on-line. They’ve been those which have handled the racism and bigotry that Carrington tweeted about. The Sky, for instance, had a person wait outdoors their resort to harass them as they exited the bus simply days after Carter’s onerous foul towards Clark.

Even Clark’s teammate Aliyah Boston discovered herself within the crossfire. After struggling to begin the season, Boston deleted her social media off her cellphone on account of all of the hate levied her manner.

All of this has lengthy since crossed the road previous regular basketball discourse to turn into one thing a lot worse. Chiney Ogwumike, a former WNBA participant turned analyst for ESPN, has supplied impassioned pleas on a number of events, talking out towards the polarization across the league. The dialog has veered away from sports activities and into much more critical discussions about race, gender and sexuality, with Clark’s identify proper on the middle of a lot of them.

Clark didn’t ask to be concerned in a lot of this. She didn’t ask to be fouled by Carter. She didn’t ask to be left off Crew USA. And he or she isn’t asking for her identify for use in these aforementioned tradition wars, both.

However whereas Clark can sit again and never hear the noise, many round her, buddy or foe, don’t essentially have that luxurious. And silence from Clark not solely doesn’t assist the difficulty, it may very well be perceived by some as a silent endorsement of the actions.

Posed with an opportunity to handle the subject once more previous to Thursday’s sport towards the Dream, Clark had a a lot stronger response to a query from James Boyd of The Athletic.

Given the good thing about hindsight, Clark probably would have gone with the second response to the primary query to keep away from the state of affairs. Whether or not the delay was a matter of realizing she wanted to phrase her reply higher, or the extra direct query resulting in a extra clear, direct response, Clark’s feedback pregame have been way more forceful, even when they nonetheless probably gained’t fulfill those that really feel she hasn’t finished sufficient to name out these utilizing her identify to gasoline racist and homophobic narratives.

It’s additionally price remembering that Clark goes by way of all of this for the primary time. She’s a 22-year-old rookie who was thrust into the highlight for the WNBA. She’s been solid into a task as a spokesperson for points that existed lengthy earlier than her, and should not but be snug with that standing.

School supplied a form of insulation that led to her not being fairly on the middle of those issues as typically, save for maybe her showdown within the nationwide title sport towards Angel Reese and LSU.

However Iowa is in her previous. Clark is without doubt one of the faces of the WNBA and, truthful or foul, her phrases — or, in some instances, her lack of them — are underneath a brand new stage of scrutiny. It’s the blessing and the curse of dwelling a dream within the public eye.

Clark shouldn’t be accountable for the worst takes about her. However as she seemingly discovered on Thursday, silence about them isn’t the right strategy both.

You’ll be able to comply with Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.