Caitlin Clark is largely recognized as one of the most talented players the WNBA has to offer, but why does she receive so much hate? OutKick’s Clay Travis thinks he has the answer.
Admitting that he got the “Caitlin Clark phenomenon wrong,” Travis compared her to Tiger Woods, both of whom shook up the common perception of the larger sporting scene that they played in. But unlike Woods, Clark has been smothered with hate not just from people who dislike the WNBA, but from from her fellow players as well.
Watch:
Many black players in the WNBA resent and hate Caitlin Clark because she’s white. And they keep acting out against her because there is no punishment for black racism in the WNBA: pic.twitter.com/DC4CPHUz3D
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 23, 2025
“What happens when a white girl joins a majority black league? Her coming to the league brings more viewers, more ad money; the Caitlin Clark tide is going to, if embraced, rise all boats,” Travis reasoned. “The majority in the league, which is black women, has done everything they can to not welcome Caitlin Clark to the league. Why? There has never been any cost for black WNBA players being racist.”
“I’m not saying racism didn’t exist when Tiger Woods came into golf,” he continued. “But they recognized that the cost of being publicly racist was so significant that if they did it, their careers might be over. The cost of racism for white people is massive. As a result, I would submit to you, there’s much less public white racism than has ever existed in the history of the world. What’s the cost for being black and racist against Caitlin Clark? Zero.”
A video of Brittney Griner, who was rescued from Russian imprisonment by former President Joe Biden, has recently started making the rounds. In it, it appears that Griner says the words “f**king white girl” while on the sidelines during a game. Critics say that if the video were the other way around, with a white player saying the same sentiments about one of their black opponents, the repercussions would be swift and severe.
Brittney Griner appeared to call Caitlin Clark “trash” and a “f***ing white girl” after fouling out last night.
Just a reminder: this is who we traded for the Russian Merchant of Death.
Now imagine if Clark had said the inverse. pic.twitter.com/iMzf6JaYfo
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 24, 2025
While other majority white sports like golf and tennis have embraced minority superstar players, it appears that the WNBA has a long way to go to show that same inclusivity.
The PGA welcomed Tiger to a majority white golf tour. Women’s tennis welcomed Venus & Serena to majority white tour. Yet Caitlin Clark is attacked in a majority black league. Why is she treated differently than Tiger, Venus & Serena were. Black to white racism is permitted. White…
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 23, 2025
It’s the culture we have created. Imagine if you could accuse someone of something that you yourself could never be accused of? You would incentivize that act enormously. Which is what we’ve done in America with racism by only defining it as white to black.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 23, 2025
X users had a lot to say about Travis’s take:
They don’t just hate her for being white. Although that’s a major component. They also hate her for being straight.
— Ohms13 (@ohms133) May 23, 2025
Agree. That’s why I have stopped watching. Hope others do so they get the message.
— Douglas Singer (@dougsinger55) May 24, 2025
That league’s always been physical and cheap. I think it’s more jealousy of her skill and the attention she gets than anything else.
— HypotenuseSquared (@HypotenuseQuad) May 24, 2025
There’s no punishment for black racism anywhere in the world.
Black racism is PROTECTED.
— StratBastard (@20twentyfo) May 23, 2025
As soon as Clark exits/retires….the league will return to zero-profit status, and make the other ladies happy once again.
— Apheleia (@Apheleia9) May 24, 2025
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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