In an interview with Time Magazine, WNBA star Caitlin Clark said she had earned all the accolades and achievements that have come her way during her incredible NCAA and pro career. However, she also claimed to be the beneficiary of “white privilege” and diverted attention from herself to stress the need to “uplift” black women in the WNBA.
Conservative podcast host Megyn Kelly took exception to those comments and blasted the WNBA phenom for being “fake” and “apologizing for being white.”
“Look at this,” Kelly wrote on X. “[Clark]’s on the knee all but apologizing for being white and getting attention. The self-flagellation. The ‘oh [please] pay attention to the black players who are REALY (sic) the ones you want to celebrate.’ Condescending. Fake. Transparent. Sad.”
Look at this. She’s on the knee all but apologizing for being white and getting attention. The self-flagellation. The “oh pls pay attention to the black players who are REALY the ones you want to celebrate.” Condescending. Fake. Transparent. Sad. https://t.co/cTzk0CTLPn
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) December 10, 2024
On Wednesday, at a Time Magazine dinner in New York City at Current in Chelsea Piers, NBC’s Maria Taylor asked Clark about Kelly’s criticisms.
“I feel like I always have had a good perspective on everything that’s kind of happened in my life, whether that’s been good, whether that’s been bad, and then obviously coming to the WNBA — like I said, I feel like I’ve earned every single thing that’s happened to me over the course of my career,” Clark told Taylor.
“But I also grew up a fan of this league from a very young age. My favorite player was Maya Moore. I know what this league was about … it’s only been around 25-plus years, and so I know there have been so many amazing black women that have been in this league — and continuing to uplift them is very important, and that’s something I’m very aware of.”
Clark went on to talk about how she’s embracing the attention that has come with stardom.
“I try to just be real and authentic and share my truth, and I think that’s very easy for me,” said Clark. “I’m very comfortable in my own skin, and that’s kind of how it’s been my entire life.
“I think I have good perspective on that … I feel like one of my best skills is just blocking things out. The only opinions I really care about are the people I love, my teammates, my coaches, the people inside our locker room, the people I see every single day and I know have my best interest at heart. I think my best skill is just blocking out the noise, and hopefully, it continues to be. Because with the way things are going and the way the WNBA is going, you want that attention, and you embrace it, and that’s what makes this so fun.”
The comments that drew scorn from Megyn Kelly came from Clark’s interview with Time Magazine after being named “Athlete of the Year.”
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said in the interview. “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.”
If Clark feels blocking out “noise” is one of her strengths, she will have plenty of opportunities to test that skill. Her comments touched off a firestorm of criticism on social media, mainly from fans angered by her kowtowing to the left and use of the term “white privilege.”
The Fever begin their season on May 17.
