Jemele Hill has a serious issue with Caitlin Clark, but it’s not from something she did or said, but from the media who covers her.
Caitlin Clark, the Iowa Hawkeyes superstar, is the biggest name in women’s college basketball over the past few years and it’s not even close. She has been billed as the female Stephen Curry and draws eyes to her just like him.
Not only do fans flock to see her, but the media coverage of her is insane, which is a problem for Jemele Hill.
The former ESPN host is arguing that the media covers white players like Caitlin Clark much more differently than they do with Black players.
“Everything about this sport has been trending up for years now. It did not just start with Caitlin Clark,” Hill said in an interview with Uproxx.
“A study I cited recently for a piece I wrote in The Atlantic [found that] when you compare [the coverage] of, say, someone like (Paige) Bueckers, Sabrina Ionescu, or Caitlin Clark to A’ja Wilson, who has dominated basketball at every single level. She’s probably the best player in the world right now. And I’m not trying to act like she gets no coverage, but the coverage that sometimes non-white women get, or specifically Black women get, is not even close. It’s two-to-one,” Hill added.
Hill further added that A’ja Wilson, arguably the best player in the world, deserved more coverage than what Caitlin Clark is getting right now.
Jemele and Caitlin Clark (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
“I mean, Aliyah Boston was the best player in college just a couple of years ago. And she did not get even a 10th of this media coverage that Caitlin Clark did. Now, some people would say, ‘Oh, it’s her game.’ But I don’t think it was that. She’s tremendous on television, and I’m thinking, What a missed opportunity for the national media to really elevate who she was as a person. Caitlin Clark seems to be a great personality, but it is not like Caitlin Clark is walking around saying crazy stuff. They’re just covering her excellence, and that’s good enough. Whereas it feels like for Black athletes to get the same amount of coverage or even fair coverage, there has to be something extra [beyond basketball].”
Clark is having a fabulous run with the No. 1-seeded Iowa in her senior year. The superstar guard has broken several NCAA records as she looks to add a National Championship to her resume before she departs to the WNBA after the year.
Despite what Jemele Hill may think, Clark will not only be etched in college basketball history for her incredible scoring feats but also for her overall impact on the women’s game.
Caitlin Clark (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark is a ratings and attendance darling in college, and she can bring that excitement surrounding her to the WNBA and that is a good thing for everyone.
Not only can she be a draw for her home fans, but also for other fan bases on the road. The WNA is already trending upward and Clark will only help it go to even bigger heights with her presence.
Everyone should be rooting that she turns out to be the WNBA version of Stephen Curry.
Joy Taylor and Caitlin Clark (Photos via Speak/X & Getty Images)
FS1’s Joy Tayor got destroyed online following what turned out to be an unpopular take.
Taylor was discussing Caitlin Clark during ‘Speak’ this week when she claimed no one was talking about the former Iowa star before the 2023 national championship game, adding Angel Reese’s taunts are what actually made her famous.
“We were not talking about Caitlin Clark before Angel Reese walked up to her, did this [waving her hand], and pointed to the ring,” she said.
“This is not my opinion. I lived it. I watched it. It was recorded, it was broadcasted live. We were not talking about Caitlin Clark before that moment, and that’s OK. You can be extremely talented and not interesting.”
Of course, Reese is doing her part for women’s basketball, and her antics gave both players more coverage than they probably would have gotten otherwise.
But Clark was pretty well known before that 2023 loss. She had already grabbed the headlines with a 41-point performance against South Carolina in the Final Four that year.
Fans Ripped Joy Taylor Over Her Odd Caitlin Clark Take
Fans were pretty quick to call Taylor out.
“Sports analysts saying they didn’t know who CC was before the 23 chip is extremely damning on sports media,” one said. “This does not say what she thinks it does.”
“This is simply not true,” another added. “If you weren’t paying attention to women’s college hoops say that instead.”
“We’re not blatantly lying. Caitlin was HER before the Natty Game and everyone knew about her before the Natty Game. Don’t do that,” said a third.
Another pointed to an interview she had with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in 2022.
Doesn’t look like Joy Taylor did her homework on that one.
Caitlin Clark (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark just wouldn’t shoot the ball enough on Tuesday.
The Las Vegas Aces winning streak extended to five games as they defeated the Indiana Fever, 88-69, in front of a record-breaking crowd.
The crowd may have been more for the Aces, but they certainly wanted to see Caitlin Clark. Unfortunately, she was not in a shooting mood on this night.
The former Iowa Hawkeyes sharpshooter finished the Aces game with 13 points, six assists, and 11 rebounds.
However, it was a rough night for Caitlin Clark, who shot 4-12 from the field and 1-7 from behind the arc, per ESPN.com.
The biggest problem, yet again, with Clark and the Indiana Fever is the lack of shots she gets to take every game. On average, Caitlin gets just above 12 shots a game, which is simply not enough for a player proven to knock down shots.
Clark had seven shot attempts at halftime and only five in the second half.
Aside from her lack of shots and scoring, the Indiana Fever defense was outscored by 19 points in her 37 minutes on the floor.
For the Aces, A’ja Wilson dropped 28 points and pulled down nine rebounds while blocking five shots, while Kelsey Plum finished with a game-high 34 points.
Also Read: Caitlin Clark’s “Pool Party” Video Had The Entire Internet Talking
Caitlin Clark Earns All-Star Spot In Rookie Season
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been a huge reason why the WNBA has become so popular.
She is off to such a good start to her career that she was named for the 2024 WNBA All-Star game.
Clark, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star, received 700,735 All-Star votes, the most in the WNBA, while her teammate, Aliyah Boston, finished with 618,680 votes.
Caitlin Clark (Photo via MatthewByrne1/Twitter)
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will play on the same team this year.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have already taken the WNBA by storm, and after the rosters were announced on Tuesday, they are now officially All-Star teammates.
The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky stars will both represent Team WNBA and will take on Team USA over WNBA All-Star weekend.
After the Indiana Fever lost to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday, Caitlin Clark had a shocking reaction when she found out that she would be teammates with Angel Reese.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, even with USA Basketball or anything like that. So, I know people are going to be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everybody else.”
When it comes to fan voting, the popularity of the two rookies was on full display. Clark received 80,000 more votes than the next player on the list, while Reese also found herself in the top five, per ESPN.
Keep in mind that just last season, not a single player in the league cracked 100,000 votes independently.
The Team WNBA roster also includes names such as DeWanna Bonner, Allisha Gray, Dearica Hamby, Brionna Jones, Kelsey Mitchell, Arike Ogunbowale, and others.
The USA Women’s National Team they will be going against features A’ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi, Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner, and many others.
Also Read: WNBA Releases Huge Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Announcement That Has Everyone Losing Their Minds
Dating to their playing days at Iowa and LSU, the dynamic pair and their on-court rivalry have helped propel women’s basketball to a new era.
Caitlin Clark Has Opportunity To Show Team USA What They Will Be Missing
Caitlin Clark won’t be on the Olympic team in Paris, but she has a prime opportunity to showcase her skills against the team.
After being voted to the all-star game, Clark and Team WNBA will face the Olympic team as part of the all-star weekend.
Clark has the perfect chance to go out there and make the selection crew look foolish if she plays well.
