Caitlin Clark just dropped a truth bomb on us, and honestly, it’s the kind of honesty that makes you pause mid-scroll. After a stellar rookie season with the Indiana Fever, Clark was named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2024. If you thought she’d use this moment to bask in glory, think again. The Iowa sharpshooter is here to talk about hoops—and some hard truths.
In her Time interview, Clark addressed an elephant in the WNBA room: privilege. And not the kind that gets you courtside seats; we’re talking societal privilege.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing,” Clark said, presumably while staring down a hoop she could hit blindfolded. “But as a white person, there is privilege.”
Talk about cutting through the noise. Clark didn’t stop there, either. She acknowledged the league’s history and the trailblazing Black players who have carried the WNBA on their shoulders—players who paved the way while dunking on outdated stereotypes, all while rocking flawless layups.
“This league has kind of been built on them,” she continued. “The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players…I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that.”
Let’s be real: many would’ve taken that shiny Athlete of the Year award, posted a generic “Grateful!” caption on Instagram, and called it a day. But not Clark. She used her moment in the spotlight to shine it on others.
Rookie Season or Social Media Chaos?
Of course, being Caitlin Clark isn’t all buckets and accolades. Earlier this year, she became an involuntary pawn in racial debates. Because why not take a 22-year-old basketball phenom and turn her into a lightning rod for controversy?
Clark, ever the cool cucumber, wasn’t having it. Back in June, she clapped back with the finesse of a fadeaway jumper:
“People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,” she said.
Translation: Keep my name out of your culture wars.
The online chaos was enough for Clark to temporarily ditch social media, focusing instead on what she could control: basketball. Let’s face it, though—if her opponents couldn’t stop her on the court, trolls with Twitter fingers had no shot either.
“I don’t put too much thought and time into thinking about things like that,” she said. “Basketball is my job. Everything on the outside, I can’t control that, so I’m not going to spend time thinking about it.”
Cue the mic drop.
Caitlin’s Rise—and the Price of Fame
Here’s the deal: as Caitlin Clark continues her meteoric rise, she’ll inevitably find herself in more unwanted narratives. That’s the price of fame in today’s world. But if her rookie season taught us anything, it’s that she’s more than ready to navigate the madness.
She’s not just redefining what it means to be a WNBA superstar; she’s setting the tone for how athletes can tackle social issues while remaining laser-focused on their craft.
So, whether she’s draining threes from the parking lot or dropping some much-needed wisdom about privilege, Caitlin Clark is the athlete—and the voice—we didn’t know we needed in 2024.
The rest of us? We’ll just be over here, marveling at her game and trying to keep up.
