The first time I really paid any attention to Caitlin Clark, it was during the NCAA championship game for women’s basketball, and there was a pop-culture “incident” between Clark and Angel Reese during the game. The incident involved two highly competitive college athletes on different sides, one white and one black, making the exact same “you can’t see me” gesture, yet only one of them was called “classless” and “ghetto.” That actually became a defining moment for both Angel and Caitlin and set up their narratives after their college careers.
Caitlin turned pro after she graduated this year, and after a middling start on the WNBA’s Indiana Fever (she wasn’t picked for the Olympic team), she’s actually doing really well right now. I’ve actually never seen anything like the hype around Clark – white people go absolutely feral for her, and Clark is credited with bringing lots of new fans to women’s basketball. Clark has quickly become a cipher for white supremacists, often being propped up as “the good one” compared to the rest of the WNBA, most of whom are women of color. There were widespread rumors that Clark and the people close to her were politically conservative, if not outright MAGA. And then something happened this week: Caitlin Clark liked Taylor Swift’s Instagram endorsement of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Suddenly, white people were very disappointed in their perfect white angel:
Them folks in Caitlin Clark’s IG comments withdrawing their support for her cuz she liked Taylor Swift’s post endorsing Kamala. pic.twitter.com/HzItUSyHEC
— Kevín (@KevOnStage) September 12, 2024
Caitlin was asked about liking the Instagram – which is still there, she didn’t “unlike” it or claim that her finger slipped – during a Fever presser on Wednesday:
WNBA rookie standout Caitlin Clark is speaking up about her decision to like Taylor Swift’s Instagram endorsement of Kamala Harris.
“I have this amazing platform, so I think the biggest thing would be just encourage people to register to vote,” Clark, 22, said to reporters during her media availability on Wednesday, Sept. 11, a day after Swift posted her backing of Harris on the social media platform.
The Indiana Fever rookie added, “That’s the biggest thing I can do with the platform that I have, and that’s the same thing Taylor [Swift] did.”
While Clark stopped short of offering her own endorsement, she emphasized the importance of voters’ rights. “Continue to educate yourself on the candidates that we have,” she said, “The policies that they’re supporting — I think that’s the biggest thing you can do. And that’s what I would recommend to every single person that has the opportunity [to vote] in our country.”
Though she didn’t officially endorse either presidential candidate, Clark is now courting controversy from followers on her Instagram account, many of whom have criticized the WNBA star for dipping her toe into political waters.
I mean… I’m actually really proud of her for not backing down or making excuses. She’s treating this like: it is what is, you can read whatever you want into it. She’s not “courting controversy” by advocating for voter education and getting out to vote. But sure, it absolutely looks like she’s quietly supporting the Harris-Walz ticket. Good for her! I wonder if all of those new Clark-centered WNBA fans are going to leave in droves.
PS… Even before all of this, you know who was one of Caitlin Clark’s biggest fans? LeBron. He’s been hyping the sh-t out of her for a while.
CAITLIN CLARK!!!!! HI HATERS
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 31, 2024
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.