WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark just caved to the pressure.
And what she said next left her supporters speechless.
And Caitlin Clark stunned fans with this shocking admission about her WNBA career.
Clark tells David Letterman she has “white privilege” in controversial new interview
Caitlin Clark took the sports world by storm last year when she entered the WNBA as the league’s first genuine mainstream star in decades.
But her historic rookie season was marred by controversy, as several WNBA players targeted Clark with hard fouls and hostility on the court.
Now, Clark is trying to make peace with her critics in a way that has many fans concerned.
In a newly released Netflix interview with David Letterman recorded last December, Clark made a stunning admission about her success in the WNBA.
“I definitely have privilege,” Clark told Letterman in an episode of “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” that aired this week. “I’m obviously white, but I think I’m somebody who grew up a huge fan of this league.”
Clark didn’t stop there, adding: “I grew up watching this league, going to games, supporting this league. So I know where this league comes from: a lot of black women who grew up making this league what it is. And that’s kind of the shoulders that we stand on.”
The Iowa native, who became the most decorated college basketball player in history before being drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever, then claimed black women “deserve all the credit” and said “there is [a] responsibility in acknowledging that.”
Critics had targeted Clark’s popularity from day one
This isn’t the first time Clark has made such statements. She previously discussed her supposed “privilege” in a Time magazine profile late last year.
Clark’s comments came after a rookie season where she faced harsh treatment from both opponents and media commentators.
ESPN personalities like Monica McNutt repeatedly suggested Clark’s massive popularity was due to race rather than her extraordinary talent and accomplishments.
Sports commentator Jemele Hill doubled down on this narrative after Clark’s latest comments, writing on X: “White privilege is real, and sports is no exception. CC is self-aware enough to understand that Black women who have accomplished things similar to what she has haven’t received the same marketing and endorsement opportunities.”
You’re intentionally missing the point. White privilege is real, and sports is no exception. CC is self aware enough to understand that Black women who have accomplished things similar to what she has haven’t received the same marketing and endorsement opportunities. Prior to…
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) December 13, 2024
Hill conveniently ignored the massive success and endorsement deals secured by black female athletes like Serena Williams and Simone Biles, who have earned hundreds of millions in sponsorships throughout their careers.
Clark’s apology may backfire
OutKick host Tomi Lahren criticized Clark’s approach, saying she “lacked the intestinal fortitude to reject the woke mob” and that Clark has now “empowered the mob” by accepting their framing.
Let’s recap the Caitlin Clark situation for those curious but haven’t followed:
— a straight white girl mainstreamed a sports league of mostly black lesbians that has never turned a profit
— her popularity triggers the black women
— the black women respond by calling her…
— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) April 9, 2025
Clark’s teammate Cameron Brink, who is also white, entered the league with a different approach. She immediately acknowledged her supposed “privilege” after being drafted, saying, “I will acknowledge there’s a privilege for the younger white players of the league. That’s not always true, but there is a privilege that we have inherently.”
Sports analyst Bobby Burack wrote that the hostility toward Clark was never about forcing her out of the league.
“The plan was always to browbeat her into becoming one of them,” Burack wrote. “Black women in the WNBA didn’t just reject Clark because she is straight and white… As a white girl and the biggest star in the WNBA, she chose not to use her transcendent platform to spread the LGBTQ and BLM agendas.”
The harsh treatment of Clark drove WNBA viewership to record levels during her rookie season, with many games seeing ratings increases of over 200% when she was playing.
Despite the controversy, Clark still managed to average 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game in her rookie campaign, earning All-Star honors and proving why she was the most hyped draft pick in WNBA history.
Critics have pointed out that Clark’s attempts to appease her detractors may only encourage more bullying rather than creating harmony in the league.
By validating unfounded claims about her success being due to race rather than her extraordinary basketball skills, Clark risks undermining her own historic achievements and the positive impact she’s had on growing women’s basketball.
