Caitlin Clark shows her true colors in response to Megyn Kelly’s ‘white apology’ criticism
Caitlin Clark insisted that she only listens to the opinions of her inner circle after Megyn Kelly blasted the Indiana Fever star for acknowledging her white “privilege” upon being named TIME’s Athlete of the Year.
Speaking to TIME in the magazine’s annual edition, Clark conceded that she would never have gotten to where she is today had it not been for the black WNBA stars that preceded her.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” she 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.”
The selfless comments did not sit well with Kelly, who took issue with the fact that Clark appeared to be “all-but apologizing” for her race. “Look at this,” the commentator and media personality wrote on X.
“[Clark]’s on the knee all but apologizing for being white and getting attention. The self-flagellation. The ‘oh [please] pay attention to the black players who are REALY the ones you want to celebrate.’ Condescending. Fake. Transparent. Sad.”
Addressing the backlash directed her way, Clark doubled down on her praise of black female athletes while speaking at a TIME dinner in New York City. “I feel like I always have had good perspective on everything that’s kind of happened in my life, whether that’s been good, whether that’s been bad and then obviously coming to the WNBA – like I said, I feel like I’ve earned every single thing that’s happened to me over the course of my career,” Clark told moderator Maria Taylor.
“But I also grew up a fan of this league from a very young age. My favorite player was Maya Moore. I know what this league was about … it’s only been around 25-plus years, and so I know there has been so many amazing black women that have been in this league – and continuing to uplift them is very important and that’s something I’m very aware of.”
Amid her meteoric rise to global stardom, Clark expressed a desire to not lose sight of her true self – adding that she’s learned to ignore the outside noise. “I try to just be real and authentic and share my truth and I think that’s very easy for me,” she said. “I’m very comfortable in my own skin and that’s kind of how it’s been my entire life.
“I think I have good perspective on that … I feel like one of my best skills is just blocking things out. The only opinions I really care about are the people I love, my teammates, my coaches, the people inside our locker room, the people I see every single day and I know have my best interest at heart.
“I think my best skill is just blocking out the noise and hopefully it continues to be. Because with the way things are going and the way the WNBA is going, you want that attention and you embrace it and that’s what makes this so fun.”
