WNBA owner goes on bizarre rant about Caitlin Clark after she won TIME Athlete of the Year

Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson went on a weird rant about Caitlin Clark during a recent interview, claiming her TIME award should not have gone to just the league Rookie of the Year.

Clark was named TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, with one of the more-publicized statements she made from the honor having to do with race in her rise to fame. 

‘I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege,’ Clark said to TIME. ‘A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.’ 

Johnson believes continuing to single Clark out is damaging for the league long-term. 

‘It has taken the WNBA almost 28 years to get to the poing where we are now,’ Johnson said to CNN. ‘And this year, something clicked with the WNBA and it’s because of the draft and the players that came in. It’s not just Caitlin Clark, it’s [Angel] Reese.’

‘We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized and I don’t think we can pin it on just one player.’

Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson has questioned by the publication singled out Clark

In Johnson’s opinion, it is the media’s fault for how popular Clark is. 

‘It’s just the structure of the way media plays out race. I feel really bad because I’ve seen so many players of color that are equally as talented and they never got the recognition that they should have and I think right now, it is time for that to happen,’ she added. 

‘You read TIME Magazine, where Caitlin Clark was named athlete of the year, why couldn’t they have put the whole WNBA on that cover? And said “The WNBA is the league of the year, because if all the talent that we have?”‘

‘When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings and now you’re starting to hear stories of racism within the WNBA, and I don’t want to hear that. We have got to operate and become stronger as a league and respect everyone that’s playing and respect their talents.’

Johnson was asked about Clark’s direct comments on race playing a role in her success.

‘She shouldn’t have had to say that, but I applaud her for saying it.’

A best-league award has never been given out by time, as Clark was honored with the sixth iteration of ‘Athlete of the Year’ and was the first WNBA player to be bestowed with it.