Caitlin Clark responded strongly to Megyn Kelly’s criticism of her recent statements about white privilege in the WNBA.
After 22-year-old Clark, who was recently named Time’s Athlete of the Year, stated in an interview with the magazine that she is aware “there is a privilege” as a white player in the league, Kelly, 54, called Clark’s statements “condescending” and “fake” in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday, December 10.
A day later, Clark spoke at the “A Year in Time” event in New York City, where NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor questioned her about Kelly’s criticism and how she deals with the strain of major matters falling on her “shoulders.”
“I feel like I’ve always had a pretty excellent perspective on everything that’s transpired in my life,” Clark stated to Taylor. ”
The Indiana Fever star went on to repeat her words from the Time piece, telling Taylor, “I feel like I’ve earned everything that has happened to me over the course of my career, but also, I grew up a fan of this league from a very young age.”
Noting that her favorite player growing up was Minnesota Lynx outstanding Maya Moore, a Black woman, Clark went on to say, “I know what this league was about, and, like I said, it’s only been around 25-plus years, so I know that there have been so many amazing Black women in this league, and continuing to uplift them is very important, and that’s something I’m very aware of.”
“I think I’m very comfortable in my own skin, and that’s kind of been how it has been my entire life,” Clark told reporters.
The WNBA’s 2024 rookie of the year stated, “One of my best skills is just blocking things out.”
Clark stated that ultimately, she just tries to “be real and authentic” and that the “only opinions” she cares about are those of “people that I love, my teammates, my coaches,” and the “people I see every single day.”
Clark found a positive aspect in Kelly’s criticism, proposing that the WNBA benefits from even negative publicity. “With the way things are going, with the way the WNBA is going, you want that attention, and you embrace it,” Taylor said of Clark.
Clark stated in an interview with Time that she feels “like the most controversial person” because of the tremendous amount of attention she receives.
“But I’m not.” This is primarily due to the various narratives that surround me. I actually aim to live and treat everyone in the same courteous, caring manner. “It just confuses me sometimes.”
Clark’s Time interview covered a variety of topics, including her connection with Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, how she hits her insane logo three-pointers, and why her rookie year made her feel “powerful.”