Posted on 12/14/2024 12:55:06 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
Coming off an outstanding rookie season in the WNBA, Caitin Clark has been named "Athlete of the Year" by TIME. Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson took exception to that decision, saying it's unfair to give Clark all the credit for the WNBA's rise in popularity.
In an interview with CNN, Johnson said that all the focus on Clark has taken the spotlight away from other elite players across the league.
"We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don't think we can just pin it on one player," Johnson said.
When asked why Clark was getting most of the credit for the WNBA's growth in 2024, Johnson pointed to the way the media portrays race in sports. Johnson asserted that non-white players who are just as good as Clark have gotten far less acclaim.
"Well, I want to be very diplomatic about this," Johnson said. "It's just the structure of the way media plays out race. I'm gonna be very honest. I feel very bad because I've seen so many players of color that are equally as talented, and they never got the recognition they should have. Right now, it is time for that to happen."
Johnson went on to say that TIME could have included the entire WNBA on its cover. She added that all the attention on Clark alone has created "hard feelings" and "stories of racism within the WNBA."
"Why couldn't they have put the whole WNBA on the cover and said, 'The WNBA is the League of the Year,' because of all the talent that we have," Johnson said.
In her interview with TIME, Clark addressed the issue of race, and she advocated for increased promotion of Black players within the league.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...
Shelia Johnson rightly points out that most all Negro Womyn basketball bouncers deliver far better cheap shots than Catlin Clark.
Nobody watches ladies golf either.
Oops, Caitlin Clark.
she’s the ONLY reason I watch and the only reason the rest get any notice at all. for basketball anyway.
The phenomenon of Caitlin Clark is reaching its sell by date, now that she has taken on woke positions, such as claiming her “white privilege.”
The talent has been unrecognized because basketball sucks — and women’s basketball sucks to the 23rd power. But a photogenic white girl who plays your dumb sport will at least help you generate TV ratings comparable to an overnight “off-the-air” test pattern.
It'll be interesting to see how fans react in Indiana.
It's a red state. I wonder if they'll continue to sell out.
Allegedly, the WNBA is on the financial ropes.
Were I Clark, I’d go play in Europe for a year and see how the league does with out her.
Money talks long before race and sexual identity.
Clark is woke. She thinks that it's not their fault that everyone is bullying her. She went to Iowa, a liberal school.
No problem, Sheila Johnson. The bump in popularity the pathetic league got from Caitlin Clark’s court skills has largely been squandered by her recently vocalized kneeling to wokeism.
lol. “TV ratings comparable to an overnight “off-the-air” test pattern.” I remember those when I was a kid. And a song about the surly bonds of earth or something.
“We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don’t think we can just pin it on one player,” Johnson said.
Right. So why did no one watch your league before?
Aww, upity little white girl beat Blacks at their own game and they can’t take it. Pretty pathetic.
It wasn’t the rise of the National Race-Baiting Lesbians’ League’s popularity that occasioned the award, it was the rise in Caitlin Clark’s popularity that won the award.
Caitlin Clark ssolely responsible for the rise in popularity of the WNBA but she should not get credit for that as she is a White Girl who cheats by not committing fouls and relying solely on her talent. It’s not fair!
I saw a statistic today that stated 31% of the Mystics season attendance was accounted for in the two games when Clarke and the Fever played in Washington. So what does that say about the WNBA?
They are very good technically but man, it's worse than watching paint dry.
You mean a WNBA owner actually married a man? In public?
NBA ratings are down almost fifty percent over the last five years. I am a sportsaholic but I cannot watch a regular season NBA game.
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