Coming off an excellent rookie season within the WNBA, Caitin Clark has been named “Athlete of the Year” by TIME. Washington Mystics president Sheila Johnson took exception to that call, saying it is unfair to provide Clark all of the credit score for the WNBA’s rise in reputation.
In an interview with CNN, Johnson stated that every one the give attention to Clark has taken the highlight away from different elite gamers throughout the league.
“We have a lot expertise on the market that has been unrecognized, and I do not assume we will simply pin it on one participant,” Johnson stated.
When requested why Clark was getting many of the credit score for the WNBA’s development in 2024, Johnson pointed to the best way the media portrays race in sports activities. Johnson asserted that non-white gamers who’re simply pretty much as good as Clark have gotten far much less acclaim.
“Well, I need to be very diplomatic about this,” Johnson stated. “It’s simply the construction of the best way media performs out race. I’m gonna be very trustworthy. I really feel very dangerous as a result of I’ve seen so many gamers of colour which are equally as gifted, they usually by no means obtained the popularity they need to have. Right now, it’s time for that to occur.”
Johnson went on to say that TIME may have included your entire WNBA on its cowl. She added that every one the eye on Clark alone has created “onerous emotions” and “tales of racism inside the WNBA.”
“Why could not they’ve put the entire WNBA on the quilt and stated, ‘The WNBA is the League of the Year,’ due to all of the expertise that now we have,” Johnson stated.
In her interview with TIME, Clark addressed the problem of race, and she or he advocated for elevated promotion of Black gamers inside the league.
“I need to say I’ve earned each single factor, however as a white particular person, there’s privilege,” Clark stated. “A number of these gamers within the league which were actually good have been Black gamers. This league has form of been constructed on them.
“The extra we will recognize that, spotlight that, speak about that, after which proceed to have manufacturers and corporations put money into these gamers which have made this league unbelievable, I feel it is essential. I’ve to proceed to attempt to change that. The extra we will elevate Black ladies, that is going to be an attractive factor.”
