Time Magazine Athlete of the Year Caitlin Clark addresses racial undertones in the WNBA

Using her platform as Time Magazine Athlete of the Year, Caitlin Clark spoke about how black players have not received the credit they deserve for building the WNBA to the point it's at today.

In the Time Magazine piece, Clark talked about her goal being to champion and raise the profile of black WNBA players in the years to come.

The WNBA became increasingly popular in 2024, starring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

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WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert sat down with CNBC in September 2024 to discuss their presence in the league and their supporters’ actions. Many outside and inside the WNBA were displeased with Englebert’s remarks.

Englebert was on the network to discuss the nature of the WNBA’s ascension in the consciousness of sports fans. The studio host inquired about the impact Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have had, but the question took a bit of a dark turn.

The host then brought up the social media conduct of those supporting Clark and Reese, and how they would sometimes bring up race or romantic gender preferences, which tends to go beyond the basic conversation of which player is better on the basketball court. Englebert was asked how she addresses this behavior, and what steps she would take to get ahead of it.

Englebert began to answer the question by saying that WNBA players are now icons in athletics, fashion, music and culture. This reality has shifted society away from feelings of apathy; Englebert said that everyone now cares about every move made by WNBA stars.

The WNBA commissioner went on to say that this moment in time is essentially the league’s Bird-Magic moment in 1979, when “those two rookies came in the league from a big college rivalry, one white, one black, and so we have that moment with these two.”

Englebert went on to say, “that’s the one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry. That’s what makes people watch, they want to watch games of consequence between rivals.”

Towards the end of her answer, Englebert said, “certainly from a marketing dollars perspective, partners are stepping up to endorse these players, much more than they were five years ago.”

Englebert took her answer in a direction that many were not happy with. She was asked about the unflattering behavior taking place behind defenses of Clark and Reece, and was perceived to have ignored the problem by saying the league was in a much better place financially.

Aliyah Boston is Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate, and was less than satisfied with the commissioner’s response. She told Sports Illustrated, “Honestly, I think when we think about this league and we think about the world in general, like there’s no place for racism, regardless of competition, regardless of money that comes into this. I think it’s really hard.”

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New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart was also left with a bad taste in her mouth with regard to Englebert’s comments. She told the New York Post, “To be honest, I saw the interview today, and since then have been in talks with (the executive director) of the WNBA Players Association.”

Stewart continued, “We wish Cathy would have used her platform in a different way and have made that a little bit better. Just telling the fans enough is enough. Become a fan of our sport, and for the new ones, lock in on everybody. But don’t be disrespectful, because as a league, we stick together, and there’s no place for that.

Former WNBA legend and current prominent women’s college basketball coach Dawn Staley told Sports Business Journal, “We’ve all been in that situation before. We all wish we would have said certain things, but we didn’t, and then you feel the barnstorm… I feel for her. But at the same time, you’ve got players in the league that are going to hold her accountable.”

Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack told Cronkite News, “I am not a politics person, but that’s B.S., come on. We’ve got to hold everybody accountable. That’s all I have to say.”

The WNBA commissioner would later post a more pointed response to the direct question. Englebert wrote, “During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race. To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else.”

The Spun and Athlon Sports have captured the feelings of certain fans who want to see Englebert step down from her role as commissioner. They cite that she failed to recognize the moment that the WNBA is currently in, and that the league would be better off with different leadership.

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WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson was critical of Englebert in a statement, saying that it was hard to believe that she did not understand what the question was asking, and why it was important to address it head-on.