Caitlin Clark kneels to ‘woke’ WNBA

WNBA star Caitlin Clark has thrown out practically all of the goodwill she earned among new women’s basketball fans and conservatives who otherwise defended her as she was subjected to blatant racism after joining the league. Clark became a lightning rod in her rookie season as her black opponents flagrantly fouled her on multiple occasions and refused to give her flowers for growing the game after a stellar college career at the University of Iowa.

Clark was chosen as TIME’s Athlete of the Year last week, a well-deserved recognition of her impact on her sport and the massive celebrity she gained in such a short amount of time. As a recap, Clark broke numerous records in her college career and in her rookie year in the WNBA and was lauded for her unique style of play, namely prioritizing three-pointers and long-range jumpers over driving through the lane for easy lay-ups. Her high three-point make percentage made her one of the best scorers in the league and brought flash and excitement to the sport.

However, it was the accompanying interview Clark gave to TIME that raised eyebrows. Despite being beat up by her opponents as pundits diminished her accomplishments because of her whiteness, Clark genuflected to the “woke” mob.

“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said. “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.”

Of course, the WNBA is a money-losing enterprise with very low viewership, so it’s unclear what exactly was “built” by these players Clark is referencing. And it’s not like Lisa Leslie, Skylar Diggins, Brittney Griner, Sheryl Swoops and other black WNBA players were not given credit for their dominant play. Either way, what was so bothersome about Clark’s comments is that she has been on the receiving end of bigotry but still feels the need to lower herself in service of appeasing her bullies. Clark’s rise was so satisfying because it was a symbol of society once again rewarding talent and hard work over identity — a post-racial phenomenon, in a way. 

Clark’s tactic to tamp down criticism from her black counterparts didn’t work, anyway, because people who demand elevation due to race or gender instead of merit are never satisfied with white self-erasure. Immediately following the TIME selection, Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson claimed that the “structure of the way media plays out race” was a factor in Clark receiving the Athlete of the Year honor. And sports commentator Jason Whitlock noted, “The WSJ put out an article about the record-breaking year for the WNBA, and had Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson as the cover.”

Clark is playing a losing game if she thinks this is how she will win the respect of her peers.