(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
There is no denying when the final buzzer rang on the 2023 Women’s March Madness Championship Game, everything changed. For better and for worse.
I started this very blog at that time. It was initially focused on the unsportsmanlike behavior of superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and the need to do better for the rapidly growing following of young girls across the country. The need to be better role models, as we continue to do everything we can to grow the game.
But in an instant, that important point became lost as a result of a racially motivated, double standard. Further fueled by First Lady Jill Biden taking the unprecedented step of inviting Iowa, the losing team, to the White House, which was walked back by her staff in the face of immense backlash.
Why?
Although Clark’s taunting of opponents throughout the 2023 Tournament was celebrated, Reese’s same conduct in the Championship game resulted in wide-spread social media attacks, laced with racial slurs and violent threats.
Reese immediately became the villain - even though Clark stated “I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” acknowledging that trash talk is part of the game.
Not wanting to criticize Reese, for what I knew in my heart of hearts was sticking up for her teammates and South Carolina friends, at a time when she needed support, and fearing speaking out would somehow stunt the growth of the game, I never finished the blog.
Shame on me. I know better. We need to call out ALL discrimination and double standards. In sports or in life. No exceptions.
The already-growing popularity of women’s basketball has exploded ever since the birth of the Angel Reese/Caitlin Clark rivalry.
Tickets to the Women’s 2024 March Madness Tournament were significantly more expensive than the men’s, and the women’s viewership numbers crushed the men’s. In fact, the 2024 Women’s March Madness Championship Game between South Carolina and Iowa was the most watched basketball game (men’s or women’s, college or professional) since 2019. And the media was quick to attribute that solely to the popularity of Clark. That simply is not accurate and is an example of how the media is contributing to the racism, misogyny and homophobia permeating women’s basketball.
Nonetheless, it is impossible to deny that Caitlin Clark is a huge draw. More people watch games she plays in. She sells more merchandise than other players. But the media’s tunnel vision when it comes to Clark is exacerbating a very real and dangerous problem.
In the immediate aftermath of the record-breaking 2024 Championship, as Clark, Reese and other popular collegiate stars, including South Carolina’s Camilla Cardosa, were drafted to play in the WNBA, the vitriol exploded at the professional level.
Prior to the season, veteran superstar Diana Taurasi, referring to the college-professional adjustment in the WNBA (and all professional sports), stated “reality is coming.” This marked the beginning of the narrative that other players are jealous of Clark. And this narrative remains ongoing as a result of the media and social media. Even though Clark acknowledged Taurasi was right and admitted her biggest adjustment was “I had to learn game to game.”
To add fuel to the fire, before the start of the WNBA season, Clark signed a whopping $28 million endorsement deal with Nike that included a signature shoe. The last three women to receive a coveted shoe deal were all white women as well – Brianna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Elena Delle Donne.
The outcry from longtime WNBA fans was swift and severe – and rightfully so. The biggest question was why hadn’t two-time MVP (now three-time) and Las Vegas Aces Superstar A’Ja Wilson received a shoe deal. A question so legitimate that it caused Nike to have a “Holy S*&#” moment and hop into action to rectify what appeared to be blatant racism.
In subsequently announcing a signature shoe deal for Wilson, Nike stated:
You thought we'd sleep on an SEC champion, national champion, #1 draft pick, five-time All-Star, U.S. Olympic gold winner, WNBA Finals MVP, a statue-having, New York Times Best Seller, TIME 100 Most Influential People in 2014, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA MVP and the prettiest hooper on the internet? You thought. Of course, A'ja's got a shoe.
Some believe that Wilson’s shoe is being released ahead of Clark’s to avoid additional backlash.
And all of this was before the current WNBA season even started!
Clearly, the WNBA experienced incredible growth this year – much of it driven by Clark, who broke records and filled stadiums across the country. For example, in the final game of the regular season, Clark’s Fever took on my hometown Washington Mystics, with 20,711 fans in attendance, a record for a WNBA game. The Mystics normally play in a 4,111-seat stadium (story for a different day), but they moved the game to the Washington Wizard’s NBA stadium to accommodate the anticipated Clark-driven interest.
The exponential growth also was attributable to the on-court success of Clark and Reese, who were vying for the coveted Rookie of the Year Award. And along with it, came the racist, misogynistic, homophobic vitriol in the stands, on the street, and, especially on social media. Things that cannot be repeated.
A part of me wonders if Reese’s broken wrist at the end of the season, while tragic, saved her and her mental health from what would have ensued for weeks. You see, WNBA players cannot make a living off their salaries. That is why many play overseas in the offseason. The gender pay gap in professional basketball is unconscionable. Sports imitating life.
For example, Clark will earn $338,056 over four years, while last year’s NBA number one draft-pick will earn $55 million over the same period. This makes endorsements critical, the value of which, like Name Image and Likeness deals discussed in Part 1, is inextricably linked to popularity and social media presence. The athletes simply cannot afford to avoid social media and related hate.
While we have been screaming about the gender pay gap in women sports, particularly basketball, for years, it wasn’t until Clark - a white, cis-woman - entered the WNBA that the discrepancy received viral media attention. Another example of the media making the problem worse.
All season long, the media attention has been centered around Clark. Fanning the flames of racism, misogyny and homophobia. But it isn’t just the media or the companies doling out endorsement deals that are contributing to the problem.
The WNBA and its Commissioner Cathy Englebert have failed to address the problem. To be clear, racism in the WNBA is not new, as recently pointed out by former WNBA basketball legend, Sue Bird. Nor is it Clark’s fault. But it must be checked!
In Part 3, we will explore how, as a result of the lack of action, the racism, misogyny and homophobia are escalating, and what needs to be done immediately.
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