Serena Williams has offered Caitlin Clark some words of advice after weighing in on the controversy surrounding the Indian Fever rookie.
Just one month into her debut WNBA season, Clark finds herself at the center of a culture war amid claims she is being targeted on the court by rival players due to her race and sexuality.
Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter sparked outrage earlier this month by shoving the former Iowa college sensation to the ground unprovoked, with late-night talk show host Bill Maher putting it down to her being heterosexual in a ‘very lesbian’ league.
‘There’s also a racial element to this,’ Maher added this week. ‘It’s not always racism when a white person succeeds.’
Others, however, believe Clark is now being weaponized to promote racism, homophobia and misogyny, leading to a fierce debate over the treatment of the WNBA’s new superstar player.
Serena Williams has weighed in on the controversy surrounding WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark
Just one month into her debut WNBA season, Clark finds herself at the center of a culture war
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Jason Whitlock insists Caitlin Clark is NOT being weaponized to promote racism and homophobia
Amid the ongoing drama, Williams has heaped praise on Clark for not letting it affect her on the court, while suggesting her critics are jealous of what she is achieving.
‘I just love that she tried to stay grounded and that she doesn’t… look at her social [media],’ the tennis legend told Associated Press at the premiere of her docuseries ‘In the Arena: Serena Williams’.
‘I get it. I don’t either. And I think it’s so important to continue doing what she’s doing.
‘And no matter what other people do, if people are negative then it’s because they can’t do what you do… basically. And hopefully she’ll continue to do what she’s doing.’
Clark recently responded to claims that she is being weaponized for negative reasons in the WNBA, after initially appearing to brush off such suggestions.
Connecticut Sun star DiJonai Carrington appeared to take issue with that initial reaction, taking to social media to question how players cannot be bothered by being weaponized for hate.
However, Clark took a stronger stance when pressed directly about the issue later Thursday evening ahead of the Fever’s game against the Atlanta Dream.
Tennis legend Williams has heaped praise on Clark for not letting it affect her on the court, while suggesting her critics are jealous of what she is achieving
‘It’s disappointing,’ she admitted. ‘Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.
‘People should not be using my name for those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable.
‘This league is the league I grew up admiring and wanting to be a part of. Some of the women in this league were my biggest idols and role models growing up and helped me in wanting to achieve this moment right here that I get to play in every single night.’