Caitlin Clark says name being used for hateful, racist narratives is ‘not something I stand for’
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark‘s name is often used to advance false, hateful and often racist narratives. The Indiana Fever guard has denounced those individuals in the past and did so again Thursday, reiterating: "That’s not something I stand for."
"That’s not how I was raised, so that’s really disappointing when people do that," Clark said Thursday during her end-of-season news conference. "It gets into this larger discussion in mainstream sports of what people go through. Just recently I saw I think it was (tennis player) Coco Gauff who talked about her experience (with online hate), as well. Anytime I see something like that, it makes me upset. It makes me sad. And it makes me really disappointed, because that’s not who I am. It’s not what I’m about. For my teammates, there’s a lot of really great things that come with playing here too."
Clark is keenly aware of how she is misrepresented online and cognizant of the microscope that she and those within her orbit are under. It’s a constant scrutiny that dates back to her Iowa Hawkeyes days and while it has come with "a lot of great things," there are also some negatives.
Veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell acknowledged those challenges during her end-of-season news conference Saturday, admitting it is difficult playing alongside Clark and "showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you."
Added Mitchell: "We get a lot of flak for just being on her team."
Clark was in Iowa City for ESPN’s "College GameDay" during the initial round of exit interviews Saturday. But she was "upset" when she saw the veteran guard’s comments, "because you care about your teammates so much and don’t want any of them to go through something like that."
The two have spoken since Saturday, Clark said, adding: "Kelsey knows how much I love her."
"We’re going to recruit her (to re-sign with Indiana) as hard as we can," Clark said. "We need her. We love her. And I think more than anything, Kelsey’s a really great person and I love getting to be in the locker room with her. She’s just a good soul."
Clark also took care to highlight the "amazing fans who show up every night and truly love the Fever."
"There are a lot of really great fans who I really, truly enjoy getting to play in front of and who I’m really thankful for," she said. "They made it a great season. … And there are a lot of you, not just here in Indianapolis, (but) across the league."
Clark shouted out Dallas and Golden State fans, specifically, pointing out how Valkyries fans booed her every time she touched the ball.
"I liked that. That was great and fun. That’s what makes the game fun. They’re passionate," Clark said with a smile. "You can boo, you can yell at people. …
"But there’s certainly a line that can’t be crossed and I think any person in their right mind knows there’s certain rhetoric that’s just not OK and not something I’ve ever stood for."
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark says name being used for hateful, racist narratives is ‘not something I stand for’
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