Sheila Johnsonbillionaire co-owner of the WNBA franchise Washington Mystics, criticized Time for awarding the Indiana Fever star “Athlete of the Year.” Caitlin Clark.
Tuesday, the exit bestowed the honor on the 22-year-old after her breakout year, during which she broke multiple college, WNBA and broadcast records.
However, in an interview with CNN Sportsthe co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) suggested that the media should do a better job of promoting all of the leagues’ players, rather than focusing on Clark’s exploits.
Johnson wondered why the publication “couldn’t have put the entire WNBA on that cover,” given the talent the league possesses.
“When you continue to target one player, it creates hard feelings,” added Johnson, co-owner of three Washington sports franchises: the NHL Capitals, the NBA Wizards and the WNBA Mystics.
“This year, something clicked with the WNBA and it’s because of the draft of the players that came in. It’s not just Caitlin Clark, it’s (Angel) Reese (Also). We have so much talent there.
In her first season with the Indiana Fever, Clark won the Rookie of the Year award and was named to the All-WNBA first team – the first rookie to do so since 2008.
His first season also coincided with an unprecedented increase in coverage of the league, with viewership figures consistently exceeded.
Overall league attendance increased 48% year-over-year to its highest level in over 20 years; this phenomenon has been called the “Caitlin Clark effect”.
A side effect of Clark’s success has been an increase in trade deals, which Johnson said could create ill will among Clark’s counterparts.
Notably, Clark reportedly agreed to an eight-year deal with Nike worth $28 million that included a signature shoe. This sparked criticism from some, claiming that her race had partly contributed to her commercial success, given that other black stars had not received deals of the same level.
“They would like to have the same kind of recognition. It all started with the Nike sponsorship that Caitlin got,” said Johnson, America’s first black female billionaire.
“There are other players who say: ‘What about us?’ »
Rivalry on the field
Throughout her college and WNBA career, Clark faced issues on the court. rivalry with fellow star Reese. While the rivalry helped develop the game, it also sparked a debate about race in the United States.
In September, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert compared their rivalry to that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the late 1970s and 1980s. It was an era that came to define the NBA for a time, but the narrative was often defined along racial lines, pitting a black man against a white man.
When asked if such comparisons could be made between Clark and Reese, and if it was a good thing for the league, Sheila Johnson told CNN: “I think the media has to be very, very careful to don’t make it a race issue, and that’s what’s really important.
She later added: “I’m concerned about the infighting and racial innuendo that’s going on because it’s going to turn advertisers away from us.” »
Clark is aware of the preferential treatment she may have received because of her race. In her interview with Time, she said: “I mean I’ve earned everything, but as a white person, there’s privilege.
“A lot of players in the league who have been very good have been black players. This league was kind of built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight it, talk about it, and then continue to make sure that brands and companies invest in the players that have made this league amazing, I think that’s very important.
“I have to keep trying to change that. The more we can uplift black women, it will be a beautiful thing.
Sheila Johnson said Clark shouldn’t have felt the need to bring up the subject, but “I commend her for saying it.”
“We have to work together because the WNBA is at an inflection point where we’re really starting to move forward, and I don’t want to lose that momentum,” she added.
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