Caitlin Clark said she can’t remember the last time she read a direct message on social media. She also enjoys getting booed by opposing fans.
Apparently, WNBA players can be the subject of an enormous amount of attention without volunteering to spend their entire day focusing on the worst aspects of it.
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CAITLIN CLARK’S LOWEST-RATED PLAYOFF GAME STILL OUTDREW EVERY NON-FEVER FIRST-ROUND BROADCAST
During her season-ending news conference Thursday, Clark condemned “racist rhetoric” and “discrimination,” praised passionate crowds and explained how she tries to manage the noise surrounding her.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark signs autographs for fans before a game against the Phoenix Mercury at Mortgage Matchup Center. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It was a refreshingly sane approach to a subject that has produced far too much nonsense around the WNBA. Some players, and plenty of people covering them, should take notice.
The discussion began with a question about Kelsey Mitchell’s comments on the attention that comes with being Clark’s teammate. Clark said seeing teammates go through that upset her. She rejected people using her name to promote racism or discrimination.
“That’s never been something I’ve stood for,” Clark said. “For those of you that know me, that’s not what I’m about. It’s not how I was raised.”
While Clark acknowledged that people shouldn’t be sending nasty messages on social media, she said she tries to avoid reading them.
“I couldn’t tell you the last time I read a direct message,” Clark said. “I just try to block out the noise the best I can.”
There is a useful lesson in that. Condemning someone else’s behavior doesn’t require giving that person unlimited access to your attention. Online trolls seek attention, which is why they send vile messages in the first place. Spending your time thinking about and reacting to those comments gives the trolls exactly what they want.
Caitlin Clark welcomes the boos
Clark recalled Golden State fans booing her every time she touched the ball.
“I like that. I thought that was great and fun,” she said.
Imagine that. A professional athlete enjoying an opposing crowd trying to throw her off her game.
“You can boo. You can yell at people,” Clark said. She even brought up watching the Yankees in the playoffs.
“Man, those Yankee fans are brutal,” she said with a smile.
Anyone expecting a visiting star to receive a warm welcome in every building should probably spend a little more time watching sports. Those fans want to see their team win, and opponents are just standing in the way.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham takes a selfie with fans before a game against the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The atmosphere is part of what makes a road win satisfying. Enjoying it doesn’t mean accepting everything fans say or do, as Clark made clear.
“I think there’s certainly a line and that can’t be crossed,” she said, adding that “there’s certain rhetoric that’s just not okay.”
Where that line falls became a major subject of debate during the playoffs, when Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson confronted a Fever fan.
“You don’t step towards me. You never should step and point at me,” Wilson said afterward.
Prime Video’s broadcasters defended Wilson without knowing what the fan had said. Apparently, her reaction was all the evidence they needed.
But as OutKick reported, both the Fever and WNBA found no fan-conduct violation.
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Clark was discussing her own experiences Thursday. Still, her willingness to enjoy a hostile road crowd offers a useful perspective in a league where interactions with spectators have become such a consuming subject.
This wasn’t the first time an opposing player accused a Fever fan of inappropriate conduct despite the team and league finding no such evidence.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson wasn’t fined or suspended by the WNBA after confronting an Indiana Fever fan during a playoff game. (Getty Images)
Fever general manager Amber Cox said no fans had been removed for misconduct at home this season. Yet, left-wing podcaster Sarah Spain said Cox was being “defensive.”
Well, wouldn’t you be defensive if people kept trashing your fans and you had information that contradicted what they were saying?
WNBA could use more focus on the positive
Clark’s answer showed how easily a person can condemn misconduct while also expressing appreciation for fans. Those positions fit together just fine.
“For the real fans that do show up and do support and do respect, I applaud you,” she said. “And there are a lot of you. And that’s not just here in Indianapolis. That’s across the league.”
When every conversation about fans revolves around the worst behavior, or the alleged worst behavior, the people who show up, support their teams and make the games worth watching can disappear from the discussion.
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“There are a lot of really great fans and a lot of fans that I really, truly enjoy getting to play in front of,” she said.
The rest of the WNBA would benefit from spending a little more time focusing on those people and a little less time reading DMs.