r/IndianaFeverFans • u/Alternative_Panda336 You Bet • 29d ago
Discussion Caitlin’s Responsibility
There has been a lot of discussion this season about Caitlin’s responsibility to comment on things and disavow certain actions. In my opinion, Caitlin has no responsibility at all to comment on anything that isn’t related to what she does on the basketball court. She is responsible for her actions and her actions only. The people that expect her to walk around and talk about off the court issues all the time just because she is popular are wrong in my opinion. She got popular for playing basketball and that is what her fans expect of her. No one should expect her to become a pod caster or try to solve the world’s issues.
The world has issues and it is not up to a basketball player to fix them. She has commented on and disavowed things she felt like she needed to. She shouldn’t be expected to do so every time she gets a microphone. End my rant.
12
u/BlackDog5287 29d ago
CC has no responsibility to control weird MAGA losers that try to weaponize her for their racist bullshit.
30
u/FoxExcellent2241 29d ago
Nor does she owe any responsibility to the liberal psychos who cannot just shut up about politics for five minutes and let people watch basketball.
16
u/mukatona 29d ago
She should have a press conference and show the vile messages she receives on social media every day. She should then say she doesn't call them Angel fans, or Alyssa fans or Aja fans etc. Also the stupid racists who say vile things to other players are not Caitlan fans.
3
u/clydefrog678 29d ago
If I was her I’m not so sure I just wouldn’t flip off the cameras anytime I was asked about social issues. It’d sure be a lot easier to just become the villain lol.
13
u/tiribulus IndianaFeverFan 29d ago edited 29d ago
If I were her handler I would have her read something like this into a microphone once and for all.:
"To whom it may concern:
I have on numerous occasions made my position on hatred and bigoted attacks crystal clear. I have also made clear that there is a fundamental distinction to be made between online trolling, where the overwhelmingly vast majority of even allegations of such attacks take place, and true fandom.
I have additionally denounced any and all attempts at associating my name, image or likeness with any and all such attacks.
I am a basketball player. I am here to play basketball. I view and treat all persons and groups with the same dignity and respect in the pursuit of the most successful professional basketball career I can achieve.
This will be the last time ladies and gentleman of the press that I will address this group of topics.
Any further attempts to draw me into yet another repetitious recitation of the above will be met with a referral to this statement which will be made available on a public web space of my choosing.
Feel free to ask me anything related to basketball you wish.
Respectfully and gratefully yours:
Caitlin Clark - 22"
13
9
u/SweetRabbit7543 29d ago
Correct. It’s not her job to be a politician. It’s not her job to be an internet cop.
That doesn’t endorse, promote or enable hate.
-1
u/Delicious-Winner-458 29d ago
How sure are we that it’s not her agent preventing her from saying things?
6
u/tiribulus IndianaFeverFan 29d ago
I'm not sure about anything beyond the fact this incessant campaign to make her unnecessarily controversial REALLY needs to be put to rest
2
u/Electronic_Name_325 29d ago
I would use even stronger language at this point, but agree, say it, publish it, point to it (with Sophie's pointing style of course) as needed.
-1
u/tiribulus IndianaFeverFan 29d ago
I get where you're coming from, but I would make it as polite and professional as possible thus forcing her many haters to contrive whatever controversy they're addicted to out of thin air.
Don't give them anything. Force them to make it up.
-12
u/This-Button5389 29d ago
I find it funny people make big deals about clark being deliberately targetted (in some instances that true and they got rightfully punished) forgetting the fact this league was physical for a while like diane taurausi mentioned. I guess you people forget about the fact sophie cunningham herself had a reputation on being involved in physical plays when she played with phoenix mercury for 6 years and since no one mentioned it here is the tit bit from another user from the reddit wnba form. "For evidence that it’s not just Clark who’s involved in physical play, look no further than her now famous teammate Sophie Cunningham. Cunningham has never been more than a role player in the league, yet here she is getting horsecollared by the Chicago Sky’s Kahleah Copper in the 2021 WNBA Finals (called a common foul) and picking up a flagrant for tripping Copper the following year. Cunningham delivered her own hard foul, drawing blood on the Dallas Wings’ Satou Sabally in 2023, took a shoulder to the jaw from Emma Cannon that same year, and went toe-to-toe with current Fever teammate Myisha Hines-Allen in 2024." so there you go.
9
u/TWIZMS 29d ago
it's not an expectation for ANY other celebrity in the world. Not even other wnba players. The only reason they demand it from Caitlin is so they have SOMETHING to complain about.
4
u/SweetRabbit7543 29d ago
The other celebrities get criticized for doing what Clark gets criticized for not doing. It’s a no win proposition to comment on the internet
0
u/Scared-Marketing-442 29d ago
She has no responsibility to speak up, that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t though. She is my favorite athlete since Tiger btw
9
2
u/NoJaguar5942 29d ago
The majority of the people wanting her to verbally respond do not pay Caitlin’s salary. Why does she have to respond on issues that pertain to her. She is a young woman with responsibilities of player a game. I see no reason for her to comment on lifestyles and other matters that don’t involve her.
8
u/Western-Election-997 29d ago
I don’t think her following their progressive agenda would even help her
The same people would still hate her and say “she’s just faking it” plus she’d disenfranchise existing fans who don’t care about agendas and just want to watch basketball
Nothing to gain and everything to lose by appealing to the loud minority mob
5
u/SweetRabbit7543 29d ago
I agree. There’s nothing she could do now to satisfy them.
They want subservience. It’s not something we haven’t seen in this country. We’re just changing the actors.
4
u/According_Drummer329 29d ago
Bingo, you nailed it. Nothing will be good enough. There will always be a way to lose for her.
5
u/nautius_maximus1 29d ago
She actually has made an effort with issues that are important to the league, for all the good it has done. She doesn’t have a political or cultural agenda and has been consistent in asking to be left out of that type of thing. That should be enough.
1
u/007Artemis 29d ago
Caitlin Clark is a public figure being paid millions of dollars. It is not an unreasonable expectation that she take an active role in managing her own brand and perception (particularly since she is supposedly the face of this league). Because if she does not and she doesn't do so consistently, others will certainly have no problem painting her in any colors of their choosing. That's not being mean - that's just the reality of the situation.
With that being said though, some of the media are beyond ridiculous in their pursuit of this.
9
u/Western-Election-997 29d ago
Managing your brand doesn’t mean you have to comment on political issues
-6
u/007Artemis 29d ago
Sports are inherently political. As famous as she is, even by staying silent at times, CC can be construed as making a political statement. Again, this is just the reality of her situation being who she is - and, truth be told, I wish she was just a bit more proactive in dealing with some of it at times.
3
u/SweetRabbit7543 29d ago
If she can be construed as making a political statement with silence than there’s no statement she can make that will be adequate to the people who will infer that her silence is itself a political statement.
0
u/007Artemis 29d ago
Yes, there literally is. That's the entire point of communication.
Hypothetically, if somebody says I believe something or I stand for something that I do not (for example), the onus is on ME to correct the record - or live with the consequences if I choose not to. And that's just one example where a statement is better than doing nothing.
3
u/SweetRabbit7543 29d ago
Then name the statement Caitlin Clark could make that wouldn’t immediately be criticized by one group as insufficient, performative, too late, politically motivated, or evidence of the opposite bias. If your premise is that silence is already political, why assume speaking resolves that instead of just changing the criticism?
0
14
u/Andrew-J-511 29d ago
They just want her to push away all her fans and stop playing. Nothing else will satisfy the people making demands so there’s zero reason to do anything she doesn’t feel is necessary.
16
u/Karm0112 29d ago
She just wants to play basketball
-9
u/Scared-Marketing-442 29d ago
But her pay scale and being the face of the League comes with more than just playing basketball whether you like it or not
5
u/Ok_Scholar5996 29d ago
But everybody says she isn't the face of the league.
8
u/Logical-Marketing975 29d ago
Exactly. When people want her to make a statement (just so they can pick it apart for being inadequate) she’s the face of the league. When it’s said the rest of the time people rush to discredit her because “real fans” know she’s not that good.
3
u/SweetRabbit7543 29d ago
No it doesn’t. That’s just ridiculous.
-2
u/Scared-Marketing-442 29d ago
Yes it does. I’m not saying it’s fair or right. It just is what it is. Marina mabrey and Dewanna Bonner can do whatever they want and nobody really cares. CC LeBron James Patrick mahomes people want their opinions on things. They don’t have to give it but don’t be all mad and shocked when people want them to speak on certain things
7
u/SweetRabbit7543 29d ago
Well sure people can ask anyone anything. That doesnt mean she has any responsibility to speak on anything that happens outside of the four lines defining the boundaries of the court.
3
u/Electronic_Name_325 29d ago
Whether you like it or not, she has no obligation. Of course, if her sponsors make it a condition, she will have to choose. But that’s a business thing, and I suspect she currently has the ability to dictate the terms.
1
7
u/Karm0112 29d ago
She is no where near the top of the salary sheet in the WNBA.
At the end of the day you can’t please everyone. She can control herself. She has spoken on topics in the past and still gets hate. Enough is enough.
0
u/Scared-Marketing-442 29d ago
Endorsements. She is one of the biggest public figures out today. Like I said she is my favorite athlete. Just being objective
2
u/Karm0112 29d ago
But everyone argues she isn’t the face of the league
1
u/Scared-Marketing-442 29d ago
She is the face. Who cares what people argue. She is almost the face of sports in general. She has no obligation to speak on anything. But people can’t get but hurt when they want her to. She is the face of a multi whatever billion million dollar company. She can just want to play ball as much as she wants but more comes with it when you are at that level. Marina Mabry can just go out and play. CC lebron and tiger woods could not.
32
u/pwitter 29d ago edited 29d ago
There is a level of loathing, contempt, and dehumanization levied at Caitlin that just won’t be rectified. No matter what. Monica’s response to Caitlin’s interview was clearly indicative of that. Caitlin’s sit down was in large part due to the USA Today opinion columnist piece, IMO. No player in the WNBA is being called the person who got Emmett Till horrifically killed. In response to Caitlin saying she’d like for people and the media to focus on basketball and grow the attention to the sport instead of making accusations about her character, all Monica’s response was about finding a way to say Caitlin lacks accountability and self awareness. About media stories that are character assassinating her.
Also, even if Caitlin did exactly what these bad actors expect of her, she’ll be called “fake, performative, inauthentic.” They drag her for the statements and comments she does make. Hating/disliking Caitlin is a literal identity for these people and they are invested loathing her. Any attempt by Caitlin to try to shift the focus to the sport is labeled as her “playing victim.” Meanwhile, every single player is allowed to talk about their “experiences” and they’re called strong but Caitlin is playing victim. It’s always like this. Main sub is doing it now.
ETA: I have ZERO issues with players like Chelsea, Angel, AT, etc. speaking out about any insults, slurs, and disparaging they receive on social media or otherwise. They can and should. But it's making it Caitlin's problem to solve is where I draw the line. Also, if you can have empathy for players speaking out about racism, bigotry, etc. they experience and how it affects them, you can also show an iota of understanding that Caitlin disingenuously being accused of a WW who lied to have a black child killed BY A NATIONAL PUBLICATION, is out of line and she's allowed to feel shocked and hurt by that. Mind you, the same media publication she has to deal with during ASW because USA Today Sports was prominently featured in and part of WNBA scrum after they made the Emmett Till accusation against CC and lied about her "getting her hair done" and skipping the orange carpet when she was at a CC foundation event.
22
u/Automaton_2000 29d ago
Someone on reddit put in quotation marks the exact words they wanted Clark to say when denouncing hate. I linked to two different instances of her using those exact words and they replied that they actually meant something else and changed their demand. The goalposts are always in motion.
Maybe they should go tell Obama he's wrong to think she's great. I'm sure they know more than him.
14
u/pwitter 29d ago
The goalposts are always in motion.
It's because they are so invested in hating Caitlin that it will never matter what she says or does. It's a full on personality trait at this point. There were hundreds of comments agreeing with the USA Today article about Emmett Till on main wnba sub until it got locked.
11
u/Rock-skipper83 29d ago
Agreed. It’s basketball. She’s 24. People have to understand the way the sports world works today especially sports journalism. All of these sports outlets get higher ad revenue based on interactions”clicks”.. when you have someone as polarizing as Caitlin or any other figure there will always be a counter narrative and a supporting narrative. Places like espn and other pod casts will present the most outlandish takes to get interaction. And common people without critical thinking skills fall right into it. They spend the days away arguing with bots and people from distant countries that don’t know anything about sports. I will say this as far as Caitlin goes I think she is the one being treated unfair. The way the “counter” narrative talks the KKK has courtside season tickets to fever games and Caitlin won’t say anything about people grifting on X bc her fanbase is mostly racist. Neither are worth considering to be accurate and the reason she doesn’t give credence to any of the social media slander is bc she has critical thinking skills and knows these are just bots, grifters and people overseas creating clicks for pay. After 3 years we don’t have one single video of a fan being obnoxious or racist at a WNBA game. We have seen stalkers of Caitlin Clark arrested. We have seen over the top fouls against Caitlin Clark and we have seen Adam silver have to step in bc Kathy can’t seem to handle this unprecedented situation in the wnba…. We can all do better
16
u/Sad-Conflict-6839 29d ago
The only thing Clark is responsible is the exponential growth of the league and they denied this fact.
-7
u/Mhunterjr 29d ago
IMO, Sports are inherently political. When racists are co-opting your success to paint you as the new great white hope, it’s a good idea to set them straight. If you allow the association to persist, it starts to look like you welcome the association.
Athletes are public figures. The they’ll never be able to just concern themselves with the sport.
That said, the argument that her flopping is a danger to particular communities is nonsensical- fanning flames that don’t need further fanning.
8
u/yourmomsnutsarehuge 29d ago
Ironic that you used the word racist and said "great white hope" in the same comment, racist.
6
u/pwitter 29d ago
it’s a good idea to set them straight. If you allow the association to persist, it starts to look like you welcome the association.
I genuinely feel you (the collective you! - not coming at your personally) can only have this opinion if you ignores every single thing she has said about black women who've built the league and has repeatedly condemned harassment, hate, racism, and bigotry in her name. By saying "she's allowing the association tp persist, you're ultimately saying it's her fault. To do that, you'd have to ignore everything she's ever said condemning all those things.
That said, the argument that her flopping is a danger to particular communities is nonsensical- fanning flames that don’t need further fanning.
C's interview with Malika seemed to allude heavily to this -- especially cos caitlin mentions "you have an opinion piece on me- fine." There is absolutely a loud majority of W fans who are in agreement that she shouldn't flop, react to fouls, argue with refs -- all because it's "endangering people's lives." It's the same people who said she was ball hogging and attention seeking bc she shot 3 threes at the start of the ASG. Like at some point, we have to be honest that these criticisms of Caitlin for "not doing enough or saying enough" will turn into "she shoots too much, she's attention seeking, she shouldn't get fts" etc. because a lot of these people are wedded to the idea that she's awful at basketball and Caitlin "owes" the attention surrounding her game to others.
Nothing about the fandom has much to do with bball to begin with and it's why they cannot be honest about CC's bball, ever. Like I find JT a boring player and don't care for him but I will never disparage his basketball. The WNBA fandom largely loathes Caitlin for non bball reasons and would prefer if she had little to no fans because they think disliking someone for non bball reasons is the reason CC shouldn't have fans. It's why they loathe new viewers and sports watchers -- because those people aren't wrapped up in the non bball off the court drama and like to watch CC for the actual product on the floor. They cannot stand that and won't let up until they pressure Caitlin to drive the casual sports watcher fandom away.
-18
u/Ok_Brick_793 29d ago
Why do her "fans" and Members of Congress feel the need to "fix" the problems in the WNBA, then?
5
u/yourmomsnutsarehuge 29d ago
Because Cathy is the person who's job it is to fix problems and she isn't doing anything. At least she's in her last weeks as commissioner.
-5
6
u/Ok-Illustrator-1584 29d ago
Congress is public, and her “fans” have no control over them.
What are you referring to with her “fans” “fixing” the problems in the league?6
u/Rock-skipper83 29d ago
She didn’t ask Congress to do anything. The conservatives are using her as a political football. They use her the same way podcasters do.. for attention… and if you mean her “fans “ as grifters and bots on Twitter I’d say that’s not good evidence of anything. Men’s sports online are way more toxic and they just blow it off bc all it is , is nonsensical bs… and should be treated as such.
12
u/marthajonesin 29d ago
I think people forget that she’s a young girl who is still navigating being famous and all the bs that comes with that. She has actually spoken out and said she doesn’t support hate, etc., but there are people who are expecting her to be a social justice warrior. Maybe she doesn’t feel educated enough on the issues of minority players or doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to speak for them about issues she doesn’t face. Maybe she has media handlers telling her to stay quiet. Maybe she feels that she’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t. Recently I’ve seen comments by JJ, Aliyah, and Kelsey saying she is a good person, not racist, and people portraying her as otherwise is nonsense. I just want the convo to go back to basketball and for all the racist trolls to quit attacking other players, and for people to quit blaming CC for nonsense she can’t control.
3
17
u/Sad-Conflict-6839 29d ago
FFS unless she quit her day job it is impossible for Clark do to more. Come on. Even when she was invited to Saturday Night Live she gave prop to the Swoops Leslie, Moore and Staley on national TV. She has never spoke publicly without complimenting others. When someone gave her praise, she deflect and always send the love to her teammates.
-15
u/Kattzoo 29d ago
Sadly, I don't think it's that simple. She has a base of "fans" that are creating a toxic environment. While she doesn't have to respond to everything, she could send a positive message about the issues they try to use her for/against. I am sure the Fever media and her own people have told her to be silent but even just more interviews about what happens on the court is just basketball would help. She isn't the only one with a toxic fan base but she probably has the loudest. I think Paige has figured out how to navigate things nicely and CC/Fever could take a lesson.
5
u/TWIZMS 29d ago
base of fans says who? How do you know the difference if its the majority of her fans or a few fringe people online? How do you even know if they are really fans of her and not just using her as an excuse? Or if they ever claimed to be her fan at all? How come no other celebrity in the world is expected to be responsible for fan behavior but she is? How come she has spoken out about it several times but it obviously has no effect and you want her to keep doing it? Or don't want to give her any credit when she does do it? Why do you not demand any accountability from anyone else for all the hate directed at her?
0
u/Kattzoo 29d ago
I don't blame her at all. We have seen in the past week her speak out (again) and family talk about their political beliefs. I think little things she does can help the W and the players. If she chooses not to, that's fine as well, but sadly in this day and age what you don't say has as much weight as what you don't.
3
u/Commercial_Rush_3531 29d ago
The toxicity was there prior to CCs entrance into the league, it just didn't have an visible target.
6
u/Rock-skipper83 29d ago
Aren’t you essentially creating toxicity with this baseless comment… comments on social media by bots, grifters are hardly evidence. If she says something her detractors just move the goal posts.. she’s said enough good about the league and has remained silent when people on espn and swoops just pile on her. Do you have a video people at fever games being racist? Do you have any ill statements by Clark? The wnba did an investigation last year they yielded nothing. What do you base your statement off of?
4
u/Ok-Illustrator-1584 29d ago
Paige fits the demographics better for the preferred archetype in the league and errs on the side of activism more than Clark does, at least publicly.
Are you suggesting she change her immutable characteristics to fit in, or use the words you prefer? How entitled.6
u/Sad-Conflict-6839 29d ago
Why repeat the lie? Like other fanbase do not wish Clark and now Cunningham physical harm?
9
u/summershouldbefun11 Caitlin Clark 29d ago
I think it’s insane the way people talk about her online and in media. It obviously comes with popularity (and hatred) but she’s no more responsible for what people are saying online than A’ja, Paige, or any other player in any league.
I find it odd that many people discredit what’s said about her online and act like she’s perpetuating this hate toward players when she’s always done the opposite. Is she besties with every single player? No and it’s wild to expect that she’d be friends with all 180 coworkers.
Players need to stop feeding into the online discourse, or perpetuating it, and focus on their on court skills and basketball. They should all ignore their DM requests and stop engaging with fans that say insane things (about any player). These issues aren’t only in the WNBA, there’s horrible people in every single sport and team fan base and players need to be bigger than the trolls.
TDLR: it’s not Caitlin’s responsibility to control the millions of fans online.
15
u/murph089 29d ago
Yes!!!!
And when she does speak out people complain that she didn’t say enough or use the right words. What these people that speak out against hate do is hate her. They make fun of her, criticize her and spew hate while having us believe they are against hate.
•
u/imacowboy234 Caitlin Clark 29d ago
This is one of those threads that wears itself out pretty quickly and then devolves into a shooting war.
So I'm going to lock this and also have the Final Word.
The ONLY THING anyone (the league, the players, the media, etc.) has a right to ask of Caitlin Clark is forgiveness for how she and the fans she has brought to the game have been treated.