On Wednesday’s edition of the ABC talk show, Hostin divided opinion by discussing the ‘privileges’ that Clark – who broke numerous records in her historic college basketball career with Iowa – has enjoyed amid her staggering rise to fame.
‘I do think that there is a thing called pretty privilege,’ the lawyer and journalist said. ‘There is a thing called White privilege. There is a thing called tall privilege, and we have to acknowledge that.’
‘And so part of it is about race because if you think about the Brittney Griners of the world, why did she have to go to play in Russia? Because they wouldn’t pay her,’ she said of the WNBA.
Hostin’s take on the Indiana Fever rookie has sparked controversy, with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy taking issue with her comments this week.
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Barstool Sports chief Dave Portnoy has defended Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark
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Clark has faced criticism amid her meteoric rise to stardom as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft
On X, Portnoy quoted a Mail Sport story on Hostin’s comments and wrote: ‘Somebody tell this racist all these players are superstars and white and nobody cared till Caitlin Clark. It’s the way she plays.’
He then listed out the players in question: ‘Dianna Turassi – Paige Buckets – Cameron Brink – Sue Bird – Ella Del Donne – Breanna Stewart – Sabrina Ionescu – Kelsey Plum’.
Clark enjoyed one of the most successful college careers of all time with Iowa before being selected by Indiana with the first overall pick at this year’s WNBA Draft.
Despite going 0-5 in her Fever career, the 22-year-old is already putting more bums on seats in the WNBA, with last weekend’s defeat to the New York Liberty bringing in a record $2million in ticket revenue.
Hostin’s comments about Clark sprung from the panel addressing former ESPN host Jemele Hill stating that her fame is a byproduct of her race and sexuality. While agreeing to the core of the argument, Hostin said that she has no issues with Clark bringing eyes to the league.
Sunny Hostin says Caitlin Clark benefits from ‘pretty privilege’
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The Barstool founder labeled The View’s Sunny Hostin a ‘racist’ following her comments
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Sunny Hostin insisted that Caitlin Clark’s popularity comes from ‘pretty and white privilege’
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Jemele Hill previously argued that Clark’s popularity is a byproduct of her race and sexuality
‘Now, Caitlin Clark is bringing this money, these sponsorships, we hope, into the league, and other players will benefit from it,’ Hostin said. ‘But I do think that she is more relatable to more people because she’s White, because she’s attractive, and unfortunately, there still is that stigma against the LGBTQ+ community.’
‘Seventy percent of the WNBA is black. A third of the players are in the LGBTQ+ community, and we have to do something about that stigma in this country. I think people have a problem with basketball-playing women that are lesbians. Who cares? They are great athletes.’
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin responded by saying she became a fan of the WNBA because Clark is ‘so fun to watch’ – noting that it had nothing to do with her race.
While co-host Whoopi Goldberg argued that she and Hostin have been trying to advocate for the WNBA for years, the former also pushed back on Hill’s comments.
‘To have her reduced that way bothered me a lot because this is her record,’ Goldberg said, pointing to her note card.
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Clark led Iowa to back-to-back title game appearances and broke the Division 1 scoring record
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Clark is averaging 17 points, four rebounds, and 5.5 assists as the Fever are off to a 0-4 start
‘Unless you can show me who’s got a better record than this, this is why she’s getting the attention she’s getting because she’s a damn good player and doesn’t matter whether she’s straight or gay. Ain’t nobody crying when she’s making those balls.’
After Clark signed a lucrative $28 million deal with Nike post-graduation, Hill called out sports brands for not sponsoring more diverse athletes.
‘Black women are often erased from the picture,’ Hill said. ‘There’s plenty of room to highlight and celebrate Caitlin Clark’s popularity while also discussing ways in which to not erase Black women from a league that they have built and continue to build.’
So far in her rookie season, Clark is averaging 17 points, four rebounds, and 5.5 assists as the Fever are off to a 0-4 start. Nevertheless, the WNBA has seen a spike in ticket sales and viewership with each game featuring Indiana’s newest star.
