Cari Champion accuses Caitlin Clark fans of racism
Broadcaster Cari Champion says a segment of Caitlin Clark's fan base uses racist abuse and the WNBA ignores it because of the money her popularity brings.
American sports journalist and broadcaster Cari Champion has accused a section of Caitlin Clark's fan base of racism, saying the league office looks the other way because of the money involved.
"She is a symbol of Middle America, of white people who want to see white women succeed and play a sport that has traditionally been considered African American. She is a heterosexual white woman. She is Catholic. Everything about her makes them feel, 'I can understand this. I want to support her.' They look the other way when that fan base behaves like Trump supporters. They look the other way when that fan base behaves completely inappropriately toward other players who are just doing their job," Champion said.
Champion argued that Clark's commercial rise, as a white player from Iowa, has exposed deeper social divisions in the United States and turned WNBA games into a flashpoint for racial conflict.
"There is something in the rage coming from the tribe of people who support her that I cannot accept. I can understand if you're frustrated or you don't like her — that happens with every player. But there is a layer of coded language here that feels like pure racism. I have never in my life been called the N-word as often as I have now. Some of her fans are simply unhinged, and it reflects a microcosm of a much bigger problem in our world — the polarisation and hatred between Black and white people," Champion said.
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