In a move as spicy as a no-look dime from Caitlin Clark herself, ESPN’s Elle Duncan dropped the mic—well, her phone—before taking a social media sabbatical, clapping back at Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson’s eyebrow-raising critique of TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year decision. Duncan’s X (formerly known as Twitter) rant is making the rounds, as she surgically dismantled Johnson’s argument faster than Clark drains threes from the logo.
Here’s the backstory: TIME handed its coveted Athlete of the Year award to Caitlin Clark, the Iowa hoops prodigy and now WNBA star. While most fans and analysts cheered the choice, Johnson wasn’t exactly in the mood for applause. She suggested TIME should’ve gone full Oprah—“You get an award! The whole WNBA gets an award!”—arguing the league deserved recognition over Clark’s individual accomplishment. Bold take, Sheila. Bold.
But Elle Duncan wasn’t having it. In a post so sharp you’d think it was written with a Spalding needle, she defended Clark’s transformative impact on the sport and why her recognition is a win for the entire WNBA.
“About to take a week off and un🔌 from the socials BUT wanna weigh in on a hot topic before I do,” Duncan began. (When someone says they’re about to unplug but first they have words, you know it’s about to go down.) “Caitlin Clark deserved TIME Athlete of the Year, and as a member of the W, it automatically amplifies the league. To suggest she’s being put on an unfair pedestal because she’s being recognized for a truly uncommon and transformational year is absurd.”
Boom. That’s one bucket.
“It’s like saying ‘Why hand out an MVP when everyone is so important on a team?’” Duncan continued, casually Euro-stepping around Johnson’s point. “Sports ALWAYS honor individual accomplishments, and there’s nothing unfair about that (unless it’s being used to denigrate others’ work).”
And for the coup de grâce? Duncan wrapped it all up with a Santa-themed mic drop: “Be good to each other. Santa’s watching. 👀” Your move, Sheila.
So What’s the Beef?
Sheila Johnson, co-owner of the Mystics, went on CNN and argued that Caitlin Clark’s honor came at the expense of the broader WNBA. She suggested the league, not Clark, should’ve been celebrated, implying that individual accolades undermine team and league accomplishments.
That sentiment didn’t sit well with journalists or fans. WNBA veteran reporter Christine Brennan joined Duncan in rejecting Johnson’s take, pointing out Clark’s seismic impact on the league.
“Caitlin Clark deserves that. There’s no doubt the impact she had on the league was extraordinary,” Brennan said. “TV ratings, attendance, sellouts—even Sheila Johnson’s own team moved two Indiana Fever games to a bigger arena because of Caitlin Clark. And in September, they had the biggest crowd in WNBA history because of her.”
To paraphrase Brennan: Sheila, Caitlin Clark literally made your box office pop.
The Clark Effect
Caitlin Clark isn’t just another rookie with a decent jumper. She’s a walking highlight reel, pulling Steph Curry-range triples while making it look like casual lunchtime pickup. She set the college basketball world on fire last season and carried that momentum straight into the WNBA, drawing massive crowds and driving record-breaking viewership.
For TIME to recognize her isn’t just about her stats or flair—it’s about acknowledging the cultural ripple effect she’s created in a sport that’s long fought for the spotlight. If anything, the league owes her a thank-you card, not shade.
The Takeaway
Elle Duncan’s spirited defense of Clark wasn’t just about one award—it was about the principle of celebrating individual greatness within a team sport. Johnson’s comments might’ve been well-intentioned, but as Duncan and Brennan made clear, they missed the mark.
For now, the debate rages on, but one thing is clear: Caitlin Clark’s spotlight isn’t dimming anytime soon. And if Sheila Johnson’s tuning in, maybe Santa’s keeping tabs on her hot takes too.
