Sheila Johnson, owner of the Washington Mystics, said Caitlin Clark should not have been criticized by Time for this selfish nonsense./hi

Caitlin Clark should not have been singled out by Time, says Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson

Sheila Johnson, billionaire co-owner of WNBA franchise Washington Mystics, has criticized Time for its awarding of “Athlete of the Year” to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

On Tuesday, the outlet bestowed the honor on the 22-year-old after her stellar year, in which she broke multiple college, WNBA and broadcast records.

However, in an interview with CNN Sport, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) suggested that the media should do a better job of promoting all the leagues’ players, rather than focusing on Clark’s exploits.

20241019-sports-wnba.jpg

Johnson questioned why the publication “couldn’t have put the whole WNBA on that cover,” given the talent the league possesses.

“When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings,” added Johnson, co-owner of three Washington sports franchises – the NHL’s Capitals, the NBA’s Wizards and the WNBA’s Mystics.

“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.”

In her debut season with the Indiana Fever, Clark took home the Rookie of the Year award and was named to the All-WNBA first team – the first rookie to do so since 2008.

Her maiden season has also coincided with an unprecedented increase in coverage of the league, with viewership numbers consistently broken.

The league’s overall attendance increased by 48% year-on-year to its highest level in over 20 years; this phenomenon has been coined “The Caitlin Clark effect.”

A side effect of Clark’s success has been an increase in commercial deals, which Johnson says may create ill will among Clark’s counterparts.

Notably, Clark reportedly agreed to an eight-year deal with Nike worth $28 million that includes a signature shoe. This has prompted criticism from some quarters that her race has partly contributed to her commercial success, given other Black stars have not received deals on the same level.

“They would like to get the same kind of recognition. It all started with the whole Nike sponsorship that Caitlin got,” Johnson, America’s first Black woman billionaire, said.

“There are other players saying, ‘What about us?’”

Caitlin Clark guards Angel Reese at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 1.

Caitlin Clark guards Angel Reese at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 1.

On-court rivalry

Throughout her college and WNBA career, Clark has been pitted on an on-court rivalry with fellow star Reese. While the rivalry has helped grow the game, it has also triggered discourse about race in the US.

In September, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert compared their rivalry to that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s in the late 1970s and 1980s. That was an era which came to define the NBA for a period, but the narrative was one that often delineated along racial lines, by pitting a Black man and White man against each other.

Asked whether such comparisons could be drawn between Clark and Reese, and whether it was a good thing for the league, Sheila Johnson told CNN: “I think the media has got to be very, very careful to not make this a race issue, and that’s what’s really important.”

She later added: “I’m concerned about the infighting and the racial innuendos going on because that’s going to turn advertisers away from us.”

Clark is aware of the preferential treatment she may have received because of her race. In her Time interview, she stated: “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege.

“A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.

Clark is aware of the preferential treatment she may have received because of her race. In her Time interview, she stated: “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege.

“A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.

“I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”

Sheila Johnson said Clark should not have felt the need to approach the topic, but “I applaud her for saying it.”

“We have got to work together because the WNBA is at an inflection point where we’re really starting to go up, and I don’t want to lose that momentum,” she added.

Relative Articles

None found

Related Posts

Travis Kelce reveals his no s-x deal breaker in unearthed clip amid Taylor Swift romance (an)

Taylor Swift is rumoured to be dating American footballing hunk Travis Kelce, with his very racy dating dealbreakers now unearthed.Back in 2016, the hunk had his own reality-dating show…

REPORT: ESPN has made a tough call on what will happen to Jason Kelce after his phone-smashing altercation with a Penn State fan who used a gay slur (an)

ESPN has made a decision on Jason Kelce following his recent altercation with a young Penn State fan. The former Eagles star had an incident with a Nittany…

Cam Newton Criticizes WNBA’s Bold Prediction and Fans Give Him Extremely Bad Nickname…/hi

Cam Newton slammed for bold WNBA prediction with fans calling it the ‘worst take of 2024’ Does the recent rise in popularity of women’s basketball – stoked…

Caitlin Clark reveals how her parents sheltered her from fame… and the ‘sad’ reality of college admissions that made her…/hi

Caitlin Clark reveals ingenious way her parents shielded her from fame… and the ‘sad’ reality of college recruitment Caitlin Clark has lifted the lid on the hack her…

Angel Reese Reveals The “Scary” Place She Doesn’t Dare Go Because Of Fans’ Craziness/hi

Angel Reese reveals bizarre place she fears going to because of crazed fans WNBA star Angel Reese has revealed she feels scared when fans approach her at gas…

‘Ademola Lookman showed Davido, Kemi Badenoch that wisdom isn’t by age’ – Reno Omokri /d

Omokri suggests that Ademola Lookman’s moment of pride serves as a blueprint for Nigerians to celebrate their heritage and reverse the decline of Indigenous languages.Nigerian football star…