Conservative pastor rips into Caitlin Clark for her comments on white privilege: "Stigmatized her fellow black athletes as inferior"

Even though she just finished her rookie season in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark has become the most recognized figure in women's basketball. Needless to say, that kind of exposure will also come with some backlash and detractors.

Every single one of her words and actions has been scrutinized, even when she's tried to shed light on some big issues, such as racism.

"I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege," Clark told TIME on December 10. "A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them…The more we can appreciate that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important."

That was the case when conservative pastor Corey Brooks wrote a whole column on FOX News claiming that Clark's comments on white privilege were offensive.

"That is why I have issues with Clark saying the league was built on Black players," the pastor wrote. "No, it was built on players and their talents. There are those of us that would argue that people didn’t show up for Sheryl Swoops or Lisa Leslie because they were Black, or because the league was too Black.

"My counter to this, as a man sitting in Chicago, the land of Michael Jordan, is then why do so many Americans and people around the world embrace Black culture? Why are Black athletes embraced around the world?"

He said that, with this kind of mentality, she's looking down on fellow black athletes.

"Whether she realizes it or not, Clark has stigmatized her fellow Black athletes as inferior with her comments. She now wants to help 'elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing,'" he continued.

FOX analyst rips Mystic owners' comments on Caitlin Clark

Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson also took offense at the fact that Clark was chosen as TIME's Athlete of the Year, going as far as to say that they should've chosen the entire WNBA instead.

FOX Sports analyst Aaron Torres ripped her for not looking at the big picture and how Clark's impact is only going to help the league.

"NBA owners didn't complain when Michael Jordan 10x'ed the value of their franchises," Torres wrote on social media. "Other fighters didn't complain when Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather got everyone paid. The people who are running the WNBA are certifiably insane. They really are."

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Clark lived up to the expectation after being picked first overall, claiming Rookie of the Year honors in 2024.

About the author

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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Edited by Krutik Jain