Sheila Johnson, WNBA co-owner Washington Mysticsdrew criticism on Friday after saying CNN that Time magazine could have put “the entire” league on its cover instead of Indiana fever star Caitlin Clark.
Johnson, America’s first black female billionaire and co-founder of BETsuggested that Time I could have named the WNBA as his “League of the Year” thanks to “all the talent” instead of putting Clark on the cover of “Athlete of the Year”.
“Because when you continue to target a player, it creates feelings of hard feelings and now you start hearing stories of racism within the WNBA and I don’t want to hear that,” Johnson told CNN’s Amanda Davies.
She continued: “We need to operate and become stronger as a league and respect everyone who plays and their talents.”
Clark, who won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award in Octoberwas one of several new players, including Angel Reese, Cameron Brink
and Rickea Jackson who joined the league as her experience progressed a massive increase in audience and attendance this last season.
Clark’s impact on the WNBA sparked intense debate over the role of race in a predominantly black league. several notable moments in its history where players became known for denounce racial inequalities And defend LGBTQ rights.
Clark, in his Time magazine cover storyrecognized the role race plays in its success.
“I mean I’ve won everything, but as a white person I have privilege. A lot of these players in the league who have been very good are black players. This league was kind of built on them,” she said.
“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,” he said. she continued. “I have to keep trying to change that.”
She then added: “The more we can uplift black women, it will be a beautiful thing. »
Johnson, when asked on CNN about Clark celebrating black WNBA players, applauded the Indiana Fever star’s comments.
The Mystics co-owner’s remarks about the coverage sparked backlash from the sports world.
Women’s tennis legend Chris Evert, in an answer onwrote that Clark “deserves this award because of his talent and contributions on and off the field.”
USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, whose book on Clark is called “On his game» should be released in July, broadcast by CNN Friday where she also questioned Johnson’s view.
She noted that the Mystics had to move their games against the Fever to a larger arena because of Clark, who attracted the largest crowd in a single match in WNBA history for Indiana’s game against Washington in September.
“I understand the issues she’s getting at,” Brennan told CNN’s Laura Coates. “But why did she choose that when Caitlin has these great answers in the Time magazine article…Caitlin was just brilliant on this issue of the black women who made the WNBA what it is .”
Elle Duncan, analyst at ESPN I went to X on Saturday to declare that Clark “deserved” the Time title and that “automatically amplifies the league.”
She wrote: “To suggest that she is being placed on an unfair pedestal because she is being recognized for a truly rare and transformational year is absurd. »
