The WNBA is clearly in trouble, as even at the height of its popularity it bleeds money almost as fast as the Harris-Walz campaign. One player, perhaps more than any other, had the opportunity to change that: Caitlin Clark.
Her record-breaking rookie season and soaring popularity drove up attendance, with fans packing arenas to just watch her play. Clark, the former University of Iowa basketball phenom, has brought a level of excitement and attention to the WNBA that hasn’t been seen… I don’t know… ever?
Thanks to her, the league, which was expected to lose $50 million this season, only lost $40 million. The league may still be in the red, but her presence is clearly helping.
Sadly, her rookie season in the league has not been without controversy. Some have been less than happy with Clark’s success because she is white and straight. Black players and media figures have accused her of benefiting from privilege, claiming her prominence is less about her abilities and more about systemic bias, and targeting her with on-court hostility, framing her as an outsider in a league dominated by black and LGBT players.
But all the adversity she experienced from a league that didn’t exactly welcome her with tolerant arms made many people root for her because she generally handled the hate with class.
And then she ruined everything. TIME Magazine’s recent profile of her leaned into the narrative of her being a privileged white girl who doesn’t deserve the popularity she has. Instead of celebrating her incredible talent and achievements, the media and WNBA players have turned her rise into a referendum on identity politics.
In the interview with TIME, Clark didn’t even stand up for herself; instead, she caved to the woke mob and “acknowledged” her privilege of being white, and insisted that it is more important to elevate black players, because, as she said, “This league has kind of been built on them.”
Her words reeked of capitulation to the very forces trying to tear her down, and that's a huge problem for the WNBA.
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Clark was the WNBA’s golden ticket—a once-in-a-generation player with the skill and charisma to draw new fans and elevate the league. But instead of letting her shine, the WNBA and its media enablers have chosen to tear her down, weaponizing race and identity to stoke controversy. But what makes this even worse is that Clark herself has bought into this divisive rhetoric, expressing “white guilt” rather than fully owning her success.
Why would you want to support a league that tears its own players down, bullying them into submission because they're white and straight?
The sad truth is, the WNBA has squandered its best chance at relevance. Instead of celebrating Clark as the superstar she is, the league has turned her into a symbol of everything wrong with its priorities. The left’s obsession with identity-based narratives has overshadowed her talent and alienated the very fans she was bringing to the table. If not for Clark, the WNBA would be even less relevant today than it currently is. The only other WNBA player I can name is Brittney Griner, and that's 100% because she was detained in Russia. I couldn't tell you what team she plays for or if she's even a good player. Frankly, I suspect most people couldn't name more than three players in the league.
And the way things are going, that won't change any time soon. Caitlin Clark has caved to the woke mob and doesn't even believe in herself anymore. Why should anyone support her or the WNBA for what it did to her?
