Fever' Caitlin Clark blasts verbal abuse of WNBA players: 'Those are trolls' (PO)

All-Star rookie Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever succumbed to a 2-0 loss in their first-round, best-of-3 series to the Connecticut Sun in an 87-81 loss on Wednesday, ending the 2024 season for Clark and the Fever. They climbed back from a double-digit deficit, which Clark admitted was the worst part of Game 2’s loss, putting a bow on the Rookie of the Year favorite’s first year in the WNBA. After the loss, Clark was asked about the racism and other hate players received across the league this season, per The Athletic’s James Boyd.

“It’s definitely upsetting. Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats,” Clark said. “Those aren’t fans. Those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA. But, there are a lot of really good fans, whether they’ve been fans for 20-plus years or whether they’re new fans in our league.”

Clark embraces all of the WNBA’s true fans who enjoy the game for its brand of basketball rather than spreading hate during the league’s most popular campaign, which has lasted 25+ years.

“I think continuing to uplift this league in a very positive light is the best thing that we can do because there are so many great players, there’s so many great teams. There are so many positive storylines that can be written and celebrated. And for me, that’s why I became a fan of this league. These people were my idols. I grew up wanting to be just like them. So, I think continuing to uplift and represent this league in a positive way is the best thing we can do.”

I asked #IndianaFever star Caitlin Clark about the racism and other hate #WNBA players have endured this season:

“Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans. Those are trolls. …” pic.twitter.com/3rgABBFMRZ

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 27, 2024

Caitlin Clark approaches her first true offseason

It will be interesting to see how Caitlin Clark approaches her first WNBA offseason between now and 2025. With one season under her belt, Clark can build off her first-year experiences with the Indiana Fever and conform more to her team leader role.
Clark finished her rookie campaign averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.