Can you stand another piece on Caitlin Clark? (Don't worry—if your answer is 'no' I completely understand.)
Ironically, that is part of the problem. You see, deserved or not, Ms. Clark is the most-heralded female basketball player to enter the WNBA in some time. And there has been much speculation as to why.
There are many potential reasons. First off, she's white. And secondly, she's heterosexual. In a league primarily made up of gay Black women, that makes her an outlier from the word go.
And when she shows up with a shoe contract and several corporate endorsements (as well as the cover of Time magazine), what I call the jealousy factor skyrockets upwards. It's very easy to imagine competing players thinking “I'll take that bitch down a notch or two.”
And many have. From her opening night struggles where she set a WNBA-record with 10 turnovers to a recent game versus the Chicago Sky in which guard Chennedy Carter administered an indefensible cheap shot to her, there appears to be a concerted effort to baptize Clark into the hard knocks world of professional basketball.
And adding to the drama is the fact that Clark is, yes, a trash-talker. Which is fine—as long as you can back it up.
Before a three-point contest during an NBA All-Star weekend, Larry Bird stood up in the locker room and faced his competition. “Which of you is going to finish second?” he asked. There was no response.
And just who won that three-point contest?
Guess.
However vigorous Clark's chutzpah, it has been tested. And will continue to be. At least until she demonstrates a Michael Jordan-like ability to shred her opponents and devour them.
To her credit, she has maintained a very marketable demeanor in public, appearing gracious, confident and in control. She has everything to gain and nothing to lose by ignoring her haters.
They will exist regardless of her career arc.
But this isn't the last of Caitlin's indignities. 2024 is an Olympic year, and the USA must assemble an Olympic team to participate. And the basketball neophytes who have recently descended on the WNBA have made their feelings clear: as the most popular player the league, isn't it Caitlin's birthright that she be named to the team?
Not quite.
While event-specific teams such as this may appear otherwise, the powers that be seek the best players for these teams, not the most-famous. And whatever her potential, Caitlin is not one of the premier point guards in the WNBA. She very well may be one day, but not today.
Struggle isn't new. Nor is it unusual. Ms. Clark is the latest in a long line of highly-talented athletes who made the jump from college to the pros and didn't find instant success.
But given her level-headed and focused approach, success is imminent. We (or rather, you) just needs to be patient.
