Basketball Legend Rips ‘Big Dummies’ Who ‘Despised’ Caitlin Clark Because Of Her Race
Women’s basketball legend Cheryl Miller sounded off on “big dummies” around the WNBA and sports media who “despised” Caitlin Clark because of her race during a recent podcast appearance.
Miller, who lead the USC Trojans to two national titles in the 1980’s, insinuated that the vitriol directed towards Clark, who is white, was because of her race.
I’m gonna be honest, because it needs to be said,” Miller said during an appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast. “I can relate to that young lady, and I felt for her. I know what it’s like to be hated. I know what it’s like to be a black woman and to be hated because of my color. I can’t imagine this young lady, I don’t want to use hate, but despised.”
The college hoops legend went on to speculate that Clark’s bombastic and confident play style made her an easy target for rivals. “She brought some on herself, a little bit, because she’s cocky for a good reason. And I love that about her. But to watch the dynamics, and the media, they had their narrative. And I was pleased and proud to see the narrative wasn’t the truth. And Angel [Reese] and her got along so well,” she added.
Clark won the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award after a historic season that sent league attendance and television ratings skyrocketing. She also broke a number of rookie records, including three-pointers made with 122 and became the first WNBA rookie to record a triple double.
‘Is she getting hyped? Yes,” Miller said. “But she was in the backyard. She was putting in the same time, sometimes maybe more than you were. I can’t fault her for what she was given.”
Despite elevating the league to new heights, Clark was constantly attacked throughout the season by segments of the WNBA player base, sports media and even league owners. After Clark was honored as the Time magazine Athlete of the Year, Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson said Clark’s race played a role in the decision.
“It’s just the structure of the way media plays out race,” Johnson told CNN last year. “I feel really bad because I’ve seen so many players of color that are equally as talented and they never got the recognition that they should have, and I think right now, it is time for that to happen.”
“You read TIME Magazine, where Caitlin Clark was named athlete of the year, why couldn’t they have put the whole WNBA on that cover and said, ‘The WNBA is the league of the year,’ because of all the talent that we have,” she added. “When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings and now you’re starting to hear stories of racism within the WNBA, and I don’t want to hear that. We have got to operate and become stronger as a league and respect everyone that’s playing and respect their talents.”
Clark ultimately succumbed to critics shortly after winning the award by seemingly agreeing that her “white privilege” plays a role in her success.
In her Time magazine profile, Clark apologized for having “white privilege” and vowed to work towards addressing it. “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” she said.
“A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”