Why More Than Ever Caitlin Clark Should Stand Up for Black Women in the WNBA?

Written by Alberta Parish

Aari McDonald, Caitlin Clark
& Natasha Howard

Former White House adviser Sean McLean recently penned a piece in the Wall Street Journal calling for the federal government to protect Caitlin Clark from harassment and a hostile work environment in the WNBA.

McLean claims "the league has fostered a hostile workplace for Ms. Clark through excessive fouling, targeting, and hostile comments from other players and owners.”

Clark has yet to respond to these claims. 

This is the time where Clark could stand up for black women in the WNBA. However, based on her previous track record, that will probably never happen. Don't expect Clark to make a public statement regarding the Wall Street Journal article. If she does, that's wonderful! 

Clark who has been plagued with injuries this season has missed over half the team's games, and will not be expected to return to the starting lineup until late August. 

What many Caitlin Clark fans and supporters are doing by continuing to push the narrative that WNBA players are targeting and harassing Clark is helping to perpetuate a toxic environment for all players and owners. Pushing false narratives around Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese also causes more harm to these players and their teams. The false narratives that Clark's fans continue to spin is also making her look weak. 

In the media, Clark's image has taken a beating since before the all-star break. This latest Wall Street Journal article only exacerbates an already rough situation for Clark. After all, many black players in the league including her black teammates who actually likes her are the ones who are taking a beating in the press as well as social media. 

Whether Clark cares or not, that's not up for me to decide because I don't know what's in her heart. Despite what I think about Clark as a person, there are black players in the league who genuinely likes her as a person. This doesn't mean they're all best friends.

The false narratives that many Caitlin Clark fans continue to push is really disgusting and ridiculous, as they do not have a front row seat into these players' personal lives. Neither are they privy to these secret meetings behind closed doors. 

Caitlin Clark is not a damsel in distress who needs saving. The best thing Clark can do is:

• Work with a trainer during the offseason to help strengthen her quad and groin muscles.
• Improve her floaters and mid-range jumpers.
• Work on lateral movement.

The WNBA has been a cesspool of racism and sexism, and I don't think there's anything the league can do to change it. However, players can make it very uncomfortable for those fans who are out of pocket with their racism and sexism.