WNBA analyst Ros Gold-Onwude doesn’t believe Caitlin Clark has to necessarily address the harassment players receive from her fans, but said her silence will be “judged.” Onwude’s comments emerged in the aftermath of Alyssa Thomas revealing on Tuesday that she faced “death threats” and racial abuse because of her Flagrant 2 foul on Clark on Jun. 24.
Clark has yet to speak out on the incident or Thomas’ comments as she recovers from a back injury sustained during that controversial matchup after enduring multiple hits from the Phoenix Mercury players. On Thursday, Onwude dished her thoughts on Clark’s silence and whether she should talk on the “Court Vision” podcast, saying:
“I don’t think that she has the responsibility to (say something). I think it’s unfair to put that on a player. But I have a lot less grace for it than I did in 2024, where I was like, ‘Hey, you know, she just got here (in the WNBA), there are so many people using her to, you know, further agendas. She’s a kid. …’
“This is now two to three years into her career, and if she’s silent, it’s her decision to do so. And it will be read as such. I don’t think she has to (talk). But the choice to be silent is also an action, and that will be judged.”
Onwude feels it would be “cool” if Clark sent a public message to the fans and stopped them from reaching out to other players to harass them.
Ros Gold-Onwude’s comment earns a community note as Caitlin Clark has indeed spoken against harassment before
Caitlin Clark may have remained silent for now over the Alyssa Thomas situation. However, she has yet to appear for media availability. She’s never taken to social media to make statements, so that’s not a space she prefers using for such conversations.
However, Clark has spoken about these issues and condemned the harassment her rivals face online. Ros Gold-Onwude’s video on X also received a community note proving that Clark doesn’t always remain silent.
“Caitlin Clark has publicly addressed online harassment against WNBA players, stating “Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls,” the community note said.
The note had a video attached from 2024, when Clark opposed racist comments towards players, saying they weren’t coming from “fans,” but “trolls.”
The same year, Clark also objected to people using her name to make racist and misogynistic remarks, saying it was “unacceptable.” When Clark won TIME’s 2024 Athlete of the Year, she publicly credited black players for building the league and elevating black women, suggesting it was “beautiful” to highlight their successes.
Caitlin Clark has faced scrutiny regardless of whether she speaks or remains silent on such issues. At times, Clark speaking up is also swept under the rug. Ros Gold-Onwude’s comment can be a prime example of it, as she claimed that the Fever superstar chooses to be silent, and for that, she is willing to judge the Indiana Fever star.
Read more:
- Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Plum’s Lowly All-Star Rankings Could Be Result of 52.8% Of Players Not Submitting Votes
- WNBA Fans Detonate As Caitlin Clark Lands 11th in 2026 All-Star Starter Voting By Players
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