FOX Sports analyst Nick Wright insisted that racists used Caitlin Clark’s popularity to spread hate towards black WNBA players.
Over the 2024 WNBA season, the No 1 overall pick sent the league’s attendance and viewership numbers to new heights following her collegiate career at the University of Iowa.
However, Clark’s Rookie of the Year campaign – which ended with the Fever getting swept by the Connecticut Sun – was marred by racial strife as her contemporaries repeatedly flagged derogatory remarks from her fanbase. The tension began when she faced rival and fellow rookie Angel Reese and carried through the postseason.
‘You’ve got this boatload of new fans because Caitlin Clark is box office,’ the FS1 host said on his What’s Wright program. ‘But unfortunately, an inevitably, and the league should have seen this train coming down the tracks, on that bandwagon were folks that weren’t fans of basketball, that weren’t even actual fans of Caitlin Clark.’
‘They were fans of what they thought Caitlin Clark could represent, which was the humbling of Black women. And you’ve got this cavalcade of open, unabashed racists who tried to put a hood of Caitlin Clark fandom on and on social internet and last night in-person, tried their best to terrorize her opposition,’ Wright added.
Nick Wright suggested the racists pretended to be Caitlin Clark fans to spread hatred
Clark’s fans have been continuously pointed out for making racist remarks to other players
Following the Fever’s elimination, Connecticut star Alyssa Thomas fumed over the racial abuse her team received from Indiana fans throughout the series. The Fans targeted Dijonai Carrington’s eyelashes, while another had a shirt that said ‘ban nails’ with large fake nails coming from each finger.
‘It’s been a lot of nonsense, I think in my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base,’ Thomas said.
‘We had (Carrington’s) face on a serious matter that happened in this world and it’s unacceptable, honestly. And there’s no place for it and we’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media.’
‘And there’s no place or it. Basketball is headed in a great direction, but we don’t want fans that are going to degrade us and call us racial names. We already see what’s happening in the world and what we have to deal with in that aspect.’
Alyssa Thomas spoke out on the ‘unacceptable’ racist abuse from Indiana Fever fans
Fans accused the WNBA of ignoring racial abuse until Clark and the Fever’s playoff exit
In September, Reese spoke about the threats she receives from Iowa and Indiana fans.
‘I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it and I don’t believe she stands on any of that,’ Reese said on the Unapologetically Angel podcast.
‘But when it comes to death threats,’ she continued. ‘People have come to my address, follow me home, it’s come down to that.’
Reese then added how fans made AI-generated pictures of her naked and sent them to her family members.
‘It sucks to see that,’ Reese continued. ‘And it’s really hard that I have to go through that. And now seeing that other players are even having to go through that.’
Reese (right) previously said she’s been targeted by racist abuse from Clark fans
Earlier this week, the WNBA posted a statement addressing the racial abuse towards players. However, fans slammed the league for waiting until Clark and the Fever were eliminated before speaking on the issue.
‘The WNBA is a competitive league with some of the most elite athletes in the world. While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league,’ the statement read.
‘League security is actively monitoring threat-related activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement, as necessary.’
