A'ja Wilson Isn't Wrong About Caitlin Clark
Race is an interesting topic to debate. All sides of any argument involving race get to play the blame game, and every side gets to be a victim in some way. The topic is prominent in politics, in businesses, and in schools, and it's no surprise it can be found in the world of sports as well.
The discussion could be heard from all corners of the world in celebration of the 1997 Masters, and in the selection of a white cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. There is no escaping it, and the newest controversy in sports, involving race, are comments made by WNBA superstar A'Ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.
What Was Said?
When talking about the meteoric rise in popularity of WNBA number one pick Caitlin Clark, Wilson had this to say; "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."
Later in the interview, she said, "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."
Clark's Impact
What Wilson is referring to is the impact that Caitlin Clark is having on women's basketball and the attention she is receiving for that impact. Clark already has the top-selling jersey in the WNBA, and 36 of 40 of the Fever's regular season games will be nationally televised because of the demand to see Clark. It was recently announced that Clark had signed a shoe deal with Nike worth $28 million.
Wilson also has a shoe deal with Nike, which was announced shortly after Clark's. The financial details are still unknown, but it's likely less than Clark, despite Wilson also being a number one pick, a five-time all-star, a gold medalist, the reigning MVP, and a back-to-back WNBA Champion. It's understandable that she'd be upset playing second-fiddle to a rookie, but is it race-related?
Wilson Is Not Wrong
The short answer is that Wilson is right, but it's more complicated than that. In other words, the answer is not black and white. Americans aren't inherently racist, rooting only for white athletes to succeed. They root for underdogs and people they can relate to.
Caitlin Clark may not seem an underdog, since she is a four-time first-team all-American (three of those seasons she was unanimously selected). She is a two-time national player of the year according to more than half a dozen entities who award this title. Clark does fit the role of underdog as a white athlete in a predominantly black sport. 19% of WNBA players are white, and 64% are Black or African American.
Eminem is considered one of the greatest rappers ever, but his early popularity was due to race. In his track White America, he sings, "Let's do the math. If I was black, I would have sold half. I didn't have to graduate from Lincoln High School to know that."
It's the reverse Tiger Woods effect. Despite being the most dominant amateur golfer who ever lived, Woods's popularity was fueled by being the underdog early in his career because he was a minority. When you factor that according to the most recent Census data, 60% of Americans are white and 18% are black or African-American, more Americans are going to root for a smaller percentage of WNBA players, because based on appearance, they relate to them more easily.
In Conclusion
A'ja Wilson didn't say anything wrong. She's completely right that Clark's race played a role in her popularity, but she'd be a complete fool if she thought it was the only reason. She is naive to get upset about this though. She's also a hypocrite unless she thinks it's unfair that black fans root for black athletes more than white athletes.
Whether you share in her outrage, or whether you think she should not have said it, she was right. Despite that, it's OK to root for Caitlin Clark no matter what your reasoning is. She's a wonderful player. You should also root for A'ja Wilson while you are at it. The WNBA is on the rise, and you don't want to be left in the dust.
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