Chiney Ogwumike Highlights How Caitlin Clark’s Rise Has Led to Growing Pains, Shares Hope for Future

Caitlin Clark’s entry into the WNBA has polarized opinions. Many Clark fans and renowned sports personalities believe that veteran WNBA athletes are jealous of her and are deliberately harassing her during games. On the other hand, many OG viewers of the league believe that Clark is still a rookie in the league and needs to wait her turn before she gets her flowers. On that note, 2x WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike admitted that Clark’s entry into the W has invited some disruptions. But at the same time, the 32-year-old showed optimism about the league’s growth with the Indiana Fever rookie at the forefront.

On First Take, the 2014 WNBA #1 Draft pick pointed out how A’ja Wilson, who’s the back-to-back Finals MVP of the league, has been replaced by the rookie sensation already as the face of the league. She opined that CC could utilize the WNBA’s growing popularity to educate a fresh set of viewers that apart from high-quality hoops, the league’s athletes have also been at the forefront of various social justice issues.

She cited the examples of LeBron James and Maya Moore, who have used their popularity to bring attention to social justice causes. Ogwumike highlighted how Moore used to be the face of the WNBA, but rose to prominence for her activism to fight for the rights of the incarcerated population in the USA.

In other words, Ogwumike argued that while Clark can use her popularity to grow women’s hoops, she also has to educate people on the burning social issues impacting people around us.

“As illustrious of a career she [Moore] has had on the court, she is known for what she has done off-the-court, for the fight against incarceration… When I played Maya was in some respect the face of the WNBA. But now it is a new face and that shift has happened quickly. And I think with all growth that Caitlin has brought, it has brought a lot of growing pains,” Chiney Ogwumike told Stephen A. Smith.

"I think that with all of the growth that Caitlin [Clark] has brought, it has brought a lot of growing pains. … Now you have the opportunity to educate people who are coming with you … so that hopefully the focus can be on the game."

—@chiney on the WNBA's growth this year pic.twitter.com/Hn9tASwaoe

— First Take (@FirstTake) June 14, 2024

These multi-faceted views of Ogwumike offers a more practical solution to the debacle the WNBA is facing. According to her, the 22-year can gain acceptance in the league by fighting for a cause that everyone can find common ground in. Her argument revolves around the Fever guard aiding the ascension of women’s hoops on multiple fronts.

In other words, Clark has build a prominent off-court persona to go with her on-court brilliance. Her involvement in social issues will make her peers accept her as a true leader in the league.