Sunny Hostin Argues Caitlin Clark’s Hype Is Partially Due to ‘White Privilege’ /hi

Sunny Hostin, Caitlin Clark Gotham/FilmMagic;Michael Hickey/Getty Images(2)

While Sunny Hostin is happy to celebrate what Caitlin Clark has done for women’s basketball, she argued there’s far more to the story.

“I do think that there is a thing called pretty privilege,” Hostin, 55, said on the Wednesday, May 22, episode of The View. “There is a thing called white privilege. There is a thing called tall privilege. We have to acknowledge that.”

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“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin argued on the talk show that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s rise in popularity is due to her race and physical appearance.

The View” co-host Sunny Hostin took aim at Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark during a recent segment on the ABC talk show, arguing that the basketball phenom’s popularity stems from her race and physical appearance.

Clark first burst onto the national scene while playing at Iowa, leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship games the last two years. The NCAA’s Division I all-time scoring leader was subsequently selected by the Fever with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, growing her following even more. Over 5 games with Indiana, she’s averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds.

On Wednesday, Hostin claimed that “pretty privilege,” “White privilege” and “tall privilege” have played a major role in getting Clark to where she is today. Her comments stem from “The View” panel’s discussion surrounding former ESPN host Jemele Hill’s claims that Clark’s fame can be attributed to her race and sexuality.

“I do think that there is a thing called pretty privilege,” Hostin began. “There is a thing called White privilege. There is a thing called tall privilege, and we have to acknowledge that, and so part of it is about race, because if you think about the Brittney Griners of the world, why did she have to go to play in Russia? Because they [WNBA] wouldn’t pay her.”

Earlier in the conversation, Hostin conceded that the 22-year-old’s ascension to the WNBA is good for women’s basketball. “Now, Caitlin Clark is bringing this money, these sponsorships, we hope, into the league and other players will benefit from it,” she said.

“But I do think that she is more relatable to more people because she’s White, because she’s attractive, and unfortunately, there still is that stigma against the LGBTQ+ community.

Caitlin Clark has played in five games for the Indiana Fever

“Seventy percent of the WNBA is Black. A third of the players are in the LGBTQ+ community and we have to do something about that stigma in this country. I think people have a problem with basketball-playing women that are lesbians. Who cares? They are great athletes.

eanwhile, argued that she and Hostin should be happy about the wave of newcomers that have joined the WNBA fanbase, which they’ve tried to help grow for years. “To have her reduced that way bothered me a lot because this is her record,” she said while pointing down at her notes.

“Unless you can show me who’s got a better record than this, this is why she’s getting the attention she’s getting because she’s a good player and doesn’t matter whether she’s straight or gay. Ain’t nobody crying when she’s making those balls.