WNBA star backs Caitlin Clark, says she is used as 'Pawn' for racism in the league

As rising basketball star Caitlin Clark gains recognition, she finds herself at the center of a controversy in the WNBA that goes beyond her on-court talent. The divide between ethnicities within the league and among its fans has become more apparent, but legendary WNBA player Sue Bird emphasizes that this divide is not new.

In a recent episode of her podcast, A Touch More, Bird opened up about the longstanding issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia that have plagued women's sports, especially the WNBA. Bird, a 13-time All-Star, made it clear that while Clark’s presence may have highlighted the issue for some, these problems have existed for years.

“The things that have held back women’s sports are racism, sexism, and homophobia amongst other things,” Bird said. “That is the starting point, and that is the lens with which you have to look through a lot of these things.”

Bird’s comments reflect a deep frustration with the narrative that has developed around Clark. Some media outlets and fans have blamed Clark and her supporters for allegedly fueling racial tensions within the WNBA.

'Caitlin didn’t bring racism', says Sue Bird

Sue Bird, however, is adamant that this oversimplification of the situation is misguided. "Racism has been impacting the WNBA well before this year. This is not a new thing," Bird explained. "In that way, I do think Caitlin’s being used as a pawn. Caitlin didn’t bring racism to the WNBA. This has been happening."

Bird’s remarks highlight that the problem isn’t Caitlin Clark herself but the way certain factions have used her rise to push divisive, racist agendas. "It’s not the Fever fans, it’s not Caitlin fans," Bird said, explaining that it's a small but vocal group of individuals causing the unrest. "We’re talking about the faction of that group that is pushing racist agendas and is pushing hate and creating divisiveness online."

Bird’s call to action is clear: this toxic mentality has to go. She hopes that the broader public, including both WNBA fans and the media, will stop focusing on blaming individual players like Clark and start addressing the deeper issues that have long impacted the league. In doing so, she believes there’s a chance to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone involved in women’s sports.