"Does not care about her health or wishes": Etan Thomas says Caitlin Clark’s brutal shutdown leaves toxic fans with no 'Great White Hope'

Much to the disappointment of her fans, Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for the remainder of the Indiana Fever’s season because of her right groin injury. It has been a difficult season for Clark, as injuries have limited her to 13 appearances. She has made the most of her opportunities, averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 assists.

In an article written for The Guardian on Sunday, Michael Jordan’s former teammate, Etan Thomas, gave his thoughts on Clark's situation. Thomas empathized with Clark while criticizing her fan base, suggesting that they don’t care about her health.

“The mob (Caitlin Clark’s fans) that has turned her into a political totem does not care about her health or her wishes. Clark has asked repeatedly not to be used to promote racism, grievance and white-supremacist narratives,” Thomas wrote.

Thomas continued and suggested that instead of looking at her as a basketball player, Clark’s fans view her as a symbol. Thomas explained that with the Fever star sidelined, her “toxic” fans won’t get to spew hate on social media, which explains their disappointment with her absence.

“To her most toxic followers, she is not a player but a symbol: the 'great white hope,’ the damsel under attack from jealous Black opponents. With her sidelined, those narratives lose their fuel,” wrote Thomas.

Etan Thomas was in the NBA for nine seasons, playing with Michael Jordan on the Washington Wizards during his first years in the league. Since Clark arrived in the WNBA, Thomas has been one of the biggest critics of her fanbase, especially those who use Clark’s image to fuel racist narratives.

Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever likely to face Las Vegas Aces in first round of 2025 playoffs

The Indiana Fever have done well to hang on in Caitlin Clark's absence, clinching the seventh seed in the standings this season after winning 23 games. The team is likely to face A'ja Wilson and the Aces in the first round of the playoffs, granted Wilson and Co. win their final game of the season against the Chicago Sky.

Las Vegas has been one of the strongest teams in the WNBA over the past month, winning 14 straight games. They'll prove to be quite a challenge for an injury-riddled Fever team. Indiana will need solid contributions from Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard if they are to make it past the first round.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan