Jemele Hill Rips Conservative Influencer For Her Caitlin Clark Opinion
12/12/2024 08:03 PM
As part of being named TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year, Caitlin Clark gave a wide-ranging interview.
Among the topics covered were Clark's views on race, the concept of white privilege and the Black WNBA players who paved the way before her. Clark's opinions, which included her saying "there is privilege" as a white player in the league, drew rebukes from some of her right-leaning fans and conservative media personalities like Megyn Kelly and Riley Gaines.
Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky who is now a popular conservative influencer, voiced her issue with Clark in a tweet on Wednesday.
"No one was asking for Caitlin Clark to position herself as a right-wing hero. All she needed to do was remain neutral," Gaines said. "She's a phenom who inspires countless young girls to play & achieve, so I still have great admiration for her, but she missed the mark on this one."
Former ESPN broadcaster Jemele Hill made note of Gaines' tweet and responded with one of her own on Thursday evening.
"You holler all the time about supporting and 'protecting' women, and yet the moment that Caitlin Clark expresses appreciation and respect for the Black women in the WNBA (many of whom she grew up watching and idolizing), suddenly you're acting like a disappointed parent. Chile, you could not tell on yourself any louder," Hill wrote.
Actually, while Hill personally called out Gaines with this tweet, this isn't the first time she addressed Clark's quotes on social media.
On Wednesday, she challenged those who took exception to what Clark said and accused them of using the Indiana Fever superstar as an "avatar to hate on Black and queer women."
"So now #TheyMad that CC acknowledged that while she's earned what she's gotten, she does benefit from white privilege. If you're mad at something so obvious, that means you were never a real fan of hers on the WNBA, you just liked her as long as she could be your avatar to hate on Black and queer women," Hill wrote.
In Clark's comments that have been causing a stir, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year showed appreciation for Black players who have come before her.
"I want to say I've earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege," Clark told TIME. "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."
Related: Caitlin Clark Makes Her Opinion On Black WNBA Legends Very Clear
