“This Nonstop Damsel in Distress Narrative Is Embarrassing”: Jemele Hill Fires Back After Fan Labels Her the ‘Ringleader’ Against Caitlin Clark

Koby del Rosario

July 9, 2026 | 9:21 PM EDT

“This Nonstop Damsel in Distress Narrative Is Embarrassing”: Jemele Hill Fires Back After Fan Labels Her the ‘Ringleader’ Against Caitlin Clark — Caitlin Clark and Jemele Hill. - Source: Imagn, @jemelehill on Instagram

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is one of the most popular players in the WNBA, but she is also one of the most polarizing. Ever since she entered the league, a great chunk of the WNBA’s limelight has been placed on her. With this star treatment, other players have seemingly bumped heads with Clark. Still, the WNBA has not addressed these moments beyond routine suspensions and fines.

Clark’s treatment by players and the media has sparked discussions across the women’s basketball landscape about whether both are fair. Several sports insiders, such as Jemele Hill, have dropped brutally honest takes on the matter, which have rubbed some the wrong way. On Thursday, July 6, Hill responded to a user on Threads who claimed that she is the ringleader in the narratives driven against Clark.

“I’ve called her the most impactful player of this generation, predicted last year before she got hurt that she would win the MVP, and said she has the potential to be a great player in the W for a long time. Yes, stars get special treatment but this nonstop damsel in distress narrative is embarrassing and an insult to her, most importantly. Stop laying your jackets down over the puddle for her. I promise she doesn’t need it,” Hill wrote.

View on Threads

Hill remains one of the most prominent voices in the media when it comes to women’s basketball. She consistently relates the women’s game to political and social issues, which has led to her being called out multiple times already.

Even with these discussions, Clark remains one of the best players in the WNBA, as she has recently been named an All-Star starter.

Jemele Hill was in disagreement with the Congress on the Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas fiasco

Another controversial take Jemele Hill had on Caitlin Clark recently was her over-an-hour-long livestream on YouTube talking about the Congress’ thoughts on Clark’s battle with Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. In their recent regular season game, Thomas’ forearm fell onto Clark’s neck during a scuffle for the loose ball. The Congress has since called out the WNBA to take more action on it, which Hill disagrees with.

“That’s just [expletive] ridiculous. I’m going to just say what it is. It is ridiculous. And so, by continuing to do this, they know what they’re doing. They’re stoking a culture war on purpose. You have a league that is 70% Black. You have more than a quarter of the league identifies as queer. And there’s nothing that sells better in this country than making black women a target, making LGBTQ-plus people a target. Nothing sells better than that,” Hill was quoted as saying. (36:15)

Thomas was suspended for one game without pay as the sequence with Clark was called a flagrant 2 foul against her.