Caitlin Clark is a white woman who is exceptional at playing basketball.
Clark’s skill level propelled her to stardom for a sport that lagged in viewership and attendance. After years, decades even, of people failing to tune in to watch women’s basketball at the collegiate and professional level, Clark played a primary role in changing that. Her skills, athleticism, and ability to hit dramatic 3-point shots drew spectators and viewers.
Typically, this wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) be a problem. Yet while many enjoyed her success, which arguably brought the sport to new heights, it also resulted in a significant amount of resentment and jealousy due to one very specific reason: Clark’s skin color. Many commentators, talk show hosts, journalists, pundits, and women’s basketball players of today and yesteryear became distressed at the notion that a white woman could become the face of women’s professional basketball.
Earlier this week, while being recognized as Time’s athlete of the year, the first-ever WNBA player to win such an honor, Clark essentially had to apologize for winning the award while being a white person, a decision that appeased left-wing social justice activists everywhere.
During her interview with Time, Clark made a disappointingly controversial comment, stating that her career and subsequent fame and fortune were aided by “white privilege.” She then felt compelled to say that the WNBA was built on black players. It was as if she could not be heralded for winning the award or her athletic accomplishments in the sport unless she mentioned the black players of yesteryear.
It is not to say that those other players do not deserve recognition. They do. However, they also have nothing to do with Clark’s present achievements. It’s a logical fallacy to claim otherwise, and the push to do so is rooted in envy and jealousy over Clark’s success — and of her skin color.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said. “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.”
It was an admission that if Clark were a woman of color who dominated in a traditionally recognized nonwhite sport, she wouldn’t have had to state. Sadly, this desire to tear Clark down because she is white was a sentiment many on the Left advanced during Clark’s rise, long before she won Time’s award. Consider Sunny Hostin, the radical left-wing co-host of The View. Earlier this year, she said Clark’s fame was due to “white privilege” (and “pretty privilege”). Unfortunately, it seems Clark was browbeaten into compliance, stating white privilege contributed to her success.
But this kind of logic is deeply flawed. It’s the result of a radical sociopolitical movement dedicated to criticizing and vilifying white people in some way for no other reason than being white. Clark’s race, or the race of her WNBA predecessors, had nothing to do with Clark’s accomplishments, setbacks, athletic prowess, or fame. It would have happened if Clark were black, Latino, Asian, or any race. Her work ethic, dedication to her craft, and skill elevated her to success, not her skin color or any sort of privilege.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Caitlin Clark was bullied into white guilt. Unfortunately, she acquiesced to it. However, the basketball phenom should have never kneeled to the sociopolitical left-wing mob. She didn’t become successful because she was white. She didn’t win any awards because she is white. She didn’t become famous for being white. It was due to her talent and would have happened regardless of race.
Caitlin Clark didn’t have to feel guilty for being white and being a phenomenal professional women’s basketball player. It is a sad commentary on this country’s sociopolitical culture that she felt compelled to do so.