WNBA proprietor Sheila Johnson made some feedback about Caitlin Clark throughout a current interview.
Johnson, who owns the Washington Mystics, was interviewed by CNN. In her interview, Johnson was essential of TIME journal for naming Clark the “Athlete of the 12 months.”
In Johnson’s eyes, the complete WNBA deserves widespread recognition, not simply Clark. Johnson needs the league as a complete have been acknowledged as a substitute of Clark individually.
“I need to be very diplomatic about this. It’s simply the construction of the best way the media performs out race, if I’m being very trustworthy. I really feel actually dangerous, as a result of I’ve seen so many gamers of coloration which might be equally as gifted, they usually by no means get the popularity that they need to have. And I believe proper now it’s time for that to occur,” Johnson stated.
“So final evening, you learn TIME Journal, and Caitlin Clark was named ‘Athlete of the 12 months.’ Why couldn’t they’ve put the entire WNBA on the quilt and say ‘the WNBA is the league of the yr,’ due to all of the expertise that we’ve got? As a result of while you simply preserve singling out one participant, it creates onerous emotions, and so now you’re beginning to hear tales of racism throughout the WNBA, and I don’t need to hear that. We’ve got bought to function and grow to be stronger as a league and respect all people that’s taking part in and their skills.
“It has taken the WNBA nearly 28 years to get to the purpose the place we are actually. And this yr, one thing clicked with the WNBA and it’s due to the draft that the gamers that got here in. It’s simply not Caitlin Clark, it’s Reese, there’s a lot expertise on the market that has been unrecognized. And I don’t suppose we will pin it on only one participant.”
Clark is the explanation issues “clicked” this yr. Clark is driving the recognition. She’s the participant who sells out video games whether or not it’s at dwelling or on the street. The Mystics ought to know higher than anybody simply how a lot of a draw Clark is. The workforce had 20 dwelling video games and hosted the Fever twice. Regardless of solely making up 10 % of their dwelling video games, video games towards the Fever produced 31 % of the Mystics’ dwelling attendance. That’s the Clark Impact.