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WNBA owner facing backlash for Caitlin Clark comments after she was named 'Athlete of the Year'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andrew McCarty | Last updated Dec 14, 2024 12:02 AM ET

Earlier this week Caitlin Clark was named Time magazine's "Athlete of the Year" following her record-setting rookie season in the WNBA.

The Indiana Fever star earned Rookie of the Year honors and was named to the All-WNBA first team, something that hasn't been done since 2008. Just a few months earlier, she set the NCAA all-time scoring record during her tremendous career at Iowa, where she lead to the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national title games.

Her first season in the WNBA saw an unprecedented rise in viewership, which increased 48% year-over-year according to a report from CNN. Time's decision to name Clark "Athlete of the Year" rubbed one WNBA owner the wrong way, despite all that she's achieved in the sport over the past few years.

“This year, something clicked with the WNBA and it’s because of the draft of players that came in. It’s not just Caitlin Clark, it’s (Angel) Reese (as well). We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized. I don't think we can just pin it on one player," Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson said.

She later suggested that Clark's race played a major factor in her ability to bring a new audience to the sport.

"We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized, and I don’t think we can pin it on just one player"

Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson speaks to @AmandaDCNN about TIME's decision to name Caitlin Clark "Athlete of the Year": https://t.co/nQL7NXosv7 pic.twitter.com/HjBjf0nlgX
— CNN Sports (@cnnsport) December 13, 2024

Fans couldn't disagree more with her comments.

"This interview is incredibly disrespectful to Caitlin, all of the players in the WNBA, and the fans," one fan said.

"For the first time, a female basketball player has been named Athlete of the Year—and rightfully so—bringing well-deserved attention to your league. And yet, you’re still unsatisfied? Unbelievable," offered another.

"This seems very ingenuous. I’m sure she went to the Fever/Mystics game (which was a record breaking game) and saw that likely 80% of the fans were in Clark gear. This was never the case for any other player or team," suggested a third.

The WNBA certainly has star players not named Caitlin Clark, but none of them caused a dramatic shift in viewership.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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