Caitlin Clark’s treatment in the WNBA continues to draw backlash from across the sports and entertainment worlds. Following the star’s injury during the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury game on Wednesday, actress Janeshia Adams-Ginyard weighed in with her own theory on why Clark continues to struggle in the league.
Speaking on “The Will Cain Show,” Adams-Ginyard argued that Clark’s rapid rise has created resentment among some veteran players.
Clark injured her back during the third quarter against the Mercury. The game sparked widespread debate after Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with Clark’s throat. The play was initially uncalled, and later the WNBA upgraded it to a Flagrant 2 and issued Thomas a one-game suspension.
During her appearance, Adams-Ginyard suggested that Clark’s popularity has changed the landscape of the WNBA, fueling frustration among some players.
“She is targeted for so many different reasons. One, these WNBA players, they’re bullies, they’re jealous, they’re envious. I believe there’s some underlying racial energy there as well,” she said.
“You have veteran players who have been in the WNBA for years, and they feel like they didn’t get their recognition. They didn’t get their marketing, but Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA a phenom. This has been her whole entire life. She’s been breaking records. Her resume proves it with her accomplishments.”
“You have players that are mad at her status, but she earned it. She earned it, she’s fought for it, she’s very competitive, she’s an athlete, and they’re trying to take little digs at her when they can.”
She concluded by criticizing the officiating, saying referees are “acting like they don’t see” the repeated contact on Clark during games.
Caitlin Clark-WNBA Debate Continues to Grow
Fever head coach Stephanie White was highly critical of the officials after Wednesday’s game.
“Absolutely disrespectful… We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,” White said in her postgame press conference. “[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. … When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating.”
Radio host Dan Patrick also made his frustration known.
“Just a note to the WNBA, have somebody available,” Patrick said. “Yesterday, we’re one of the few outlets that called looking for a quote. We couldn’t even get a quote out of anybody. And Paulie was working on that most of the show. Like, have somebody available, alright? You have to answer tough questions sometimes. And this is a time when you have to answer a tough question. But have somebody available. That’s all. Have somebody available for comment. Everybody was traveling; nobody was available yesterday. And then it spirals out of control, and it gets even worse. And then everybody’s got an opinion about this. Even people who probably didn’t see the game.”
While opinions remain divided over why Clark has been involved in so many physical encounters since entering the league, the comments from “Black Panther” actress Janeshia Adams-Ginyard add another point to the debate.
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