Caitlin Clark’s excellence on the court in her rookie season in the WNBA, and her impact on women’s basketball, has rightfully earned her the TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year award. The Indiana Fever guard shattered a slew of records and became the most talked-about player in America through the course of the year. However, not all chatter was pleasant.
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Clark’s stellar impact on the court was often overshadowed by controversy. The guard rarely addressed them and when she did, she either brushed the controversies aside or downplayed them. Despite her disinterest in engaging in any discourse, she became the most divisive figure among fans.
In her interview with TIME Magazine, she admitted it wasn’t easy trying to block out the noise and focus on giving her best on the court. She said:
“I tell people I feel like the most controversial person. But I am not. It’s just because of all the storylines that surround me. I literally try to live and treat everybody in the same exact respectful, kind way. It just confuses me at times.”
Clark was unwillingly embroiled in several controversies which often became major talking points on social media and TV.
Caitlin had to deal with drama
Clark’s first brush with controversy happened during her introductory press conference. Journalist Gregg Doyel bizarrely attempted to flirt with the guard, which she promptly ignored. However, Doyel’s behaviour sparked outrage on social media and he was suspended from covering the team.
Man, Gregg Doyel is such a weirdo. He was referring to Caitlin Clark’s gesture in this exchange. She’s gonna have a restraining order against him by the end of the preseason. ♂️ pic.twitter.com/Nx8w3x9WbD
— Joshua Sánchez (@jnsanchez) April 17, 2024
The next big controversy was her rough treatment on the court. Fans noticed that opponents were particularly clumsy or excessively rough when fouling Clark. Some alleged it was an intentional attempt to injure her. Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter became the poster girl of the ‘jealousy’ accusations after she fouled the rookie on purpose when the ball was out of bounds.
Caitlin Clark gets called a b*tch then decked by Chicago guard, Chennedy Carter, away from the ball.
Does Caitlin need to toughen up, or are the women out to get her- What y’all think? pic.twitter.com/ajKvPQfr91
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) June 1, 2024
Clark being left out of the US Women’s Basketball Team for the Paris Olympics also sparked a massive controversy. Fans argued that her stats and impact on the court should have earned her a spot on the team.
To her credit, the guard downplayed her snub and claimed every player on the roster deserved their spot. In her interview with TIME Magazine, she lambasted suggestions that she should have been selected to ensure fans tuned in to watch the games.
“I don’t want to be there because I’m somebody that can bring attention. I love that for the game of women’s basketball. But at the same time, I want to be there because they think I’m good enough. I don’t want to be some little person that is kind of dragged around for people to cheer about and only watch because I’m sitting on the bench,” elaborated Clark.
There’s a lot more that Clark had to deal with during her debut season in the WNBA, including her beef with Angel Reese and Sheryl Swoopes. However, she turned a deaf ear to all of it and focused on her game. She’ll continue doing so, knowing well that she would never be able to outrun the controversies.
