Professionally, Caitlin Clark is still making waves. The talented rookie for the Indiana Fever earned a nomination for Rookie of the Month in May, her first major WNBA honor. But her performance hasn’t been the subject of every headline. Views from all across the internet have been generated by a contentious June 1 matchup between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky.
Chennedy Carter, a Sky guard, gave Clark a shoulder-check. As a result, Carter spoke to media and refused to comment on the incident. Carter would criticize Clark on social media, saying that her three-point shooting was the only thing she had to offer the WNBA. Since then, Carter has removed the thread from her Threads account.
Following the defeat, Angel Reese, a fellow Sky player and NCAA star, also withdrew from the game; as a result, her team and she were fined for violating the team’s media guidelines. The players of the Sky also kept making news when they spoke on social media about someone harrassing Carter outside their hotel with a camera.
After a week of growing tensions, Clark has finally come out to media over the incident. When Carter checked Clark, she first said she knew the professional game would be tough, but others now believe Clark is being singled out because of the way the incident was reported.
Clark discussed the event at the Sky game and the stories that have been tied to it with USA Today journalist Christine Brennan. “You would be surprised, but I don’t see a lot of it because I’m not on social media,” Clark said. I’m watching sports on my TV right now, at my place. You continue to recognize it and be conscious of it.”
Several media outlets have discussed the Carter case and the events that followed in-depth, despite Clark’s lack of attention to social media. Then, when it comes to talks about her or the WNBA, Clark says she wishes the emphasis was on basketball.
“Other than that, my focus is basketball. Sometimes it stinks how much the conversation is outside of basketball and not the product on the floor, the amazing players on the floor, and how good they are for their teams. And how great this season has been for women’s basketball going from college to the WNBA. Some of the crowds are unprecedented and have never been seen before. The viewership is amazing. But yeah, I just try to block it out.” It’s a lot to block out. Clark’s name has been mentioned in practically every conversation about the WNBA. Her impact on the sport is very real. Clark is singularly responsible for several sold-out crowds. Many teams have opted to move into bigger stadiums when the Fever came into town to ensure enough space was available to fans. She also signed a $28 million deal with Nike, including a signature shoe, right after she was drafted first overall by the Fever. Wilson also made Clark the face of its company, a sponsorship arrangement that hasn’t been seen since the days of Michael Jordan. Her star appeal is undeniable, trash talk aside, so Clark will have a difficult time escaping all the outside noise. For now, she appears to be fully locked into helping the Fever secure a winning season and more.
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