Caitlin Clark calls out WNBA media’s ‘false characterization of who I am’

Caitlin Clark enters this weekend’s WNBA All-Star break as the sport’s most transcendent player in years, but also a lightning rod for controversy, much of which has nothing to do with her play on the court. Look no further than USA Today’s controversial post Friday on X/Twitter about why the Indiana Fever superstar missed the WNBA’s Orange Carpet event Thursday in Chicago.

USA Today’s X/Twitter account originally claimed the 24-year-old Clark skipped it “to get her hair done” in her hometown of Des Moines. In reality, the Iowa icon was attending a previously-scheduled event for her personal charity, the Caitlin Clark Foundation. Prior to the event, Clark commented on an Instagram post by her local hairdresser showing off some new curls. USA Today later clarified its post with a correction after receiving widespread backlash online, including in the form of a community note on X/Twitter.

Clark, who will be a starter in Saturday’s WNBA All-Star game, opened up about the unwanted discourse around how she’s often portrayed during a sit-down interview with ESPN that aired Friday night on the network. During the interview, Clark bemoaned what she described as a false narrative about herself that has been propagated by the media at large.

“I think there’s just like a false characterization of who I am sometimes. … I get people have a job to do, but at the same time, don’t make accusations about my character and who I am when you don’t know me,” Clark told ESPN‘s Malika Andrews. “I understand this is your job and this is your profession and this is what you do, but basketball is my profession and what I get to do. And the reason I play it is when I step between the lines, I love it.

“That’s what’s so fun about it for me, I get to compete, this was always my dream and nobody should ever try to take that away from me – the love and the joy that I have for the game,” Clark continued. “And they haven’t, and they won’t, because it’s my goal to win, like win championships, and I know I can help this team do that. And that’s always what I remind myself in the moments that things go downhill, just makes me work harder.”

Last month, Clark found herself at the center of another WNBA controversy following a viral incident involving Phoenix Mercury guard Alyssa Thomas, who appeared to target Clark’s throat while she was on the court during their Jun. 24 game. Thomas would serve a one-game suspension for what was deemed a Flagrant 2 foul by the league, through Clark missed a full week of action with an unrelated back injury.

Upon her return to practice, Clark addressed the viral Thomas foul and called on both the WNBA and its officials to be “better” with regard to how they protect players. She also spoke to the emotional toll that often comes with being league’s most prominent player.

“I think a lot of people sometimes think I’m a robot,” Clark said July 3. “I’m not a robot. I have emotions, I have feelings, and it can be really difficult to go through a lot of that. I’m 24 years old, trying to navigate a lot.”

— On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.