Getty The Sun's DiJonai Carrington dribbles against Fever's Caitlin Clark at the Mohegan Sun Arena on June 10, 2024.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was the subject of serious criticism from Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington.
While Carrington didn’t mention Clark by name in her tweet, the reference was undeniable following the rookie’s comments earlier in the day.
Carrington posted on June 13, “Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts.
“We all see the [expletive]. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury.”
Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts. We all see the sh*t. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury.
Carrington’s post racked up over 20,000 likes and strongly mixed reactions on X. The Stanford alum’s statement came on the heels of Clark’s pregame interview. The Athletic’s Jim Trotter asked Clark if she was bothered by her name being weaponized in non-sports topics.
“No, I don’t see it,” Clark answered, reiterating that her main focus is on the game, her teammates and coaches. “Basketball is my job,” she said. “Everything on the outside, I can’t control that. So, I’m not going to spend time thinking about that.
“People can talk about what they want to talk about, create conversations about whatever it is. But I think for myself, I’m just here to play basketball, I’m here to have fun. I’m trying to help our team win.”
Caitlin Clark Sent a Clear Message Against the Racism & Misogyny That Dijonai Carrington Alluded to in Her Message
I asked #IndianaFever’s Caitlin Clark directly about her name being weaponized for racism/misogyny (as Dijonai Carrington alluded to):
“It’s disappointing. … Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.”
Following Carrington’s post, a reporter asked Clark directly about the misogyny and racism circling the WNBA.
The 22-year-old delivered a strong statement on people using her name with hateful motives, messages that escalated after Clark failed to make Team USA.
“It’s disappointing,” Clark said.
“Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect. People should not be using my name to push those agendas… It’s not acceptable.”
“This league is a league I grew up admiring and wanting to be part of,” Clark added. “Some of the women in this league were my biggest idols and role models growing up and helped me want to achieve this moment right here, that I get to play in every single night.
“Just treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think it’s just a basic human thing that everybody should do. Just be a kind person and treat them how you want to be treated.”
Caitlin Clark & the Fever Bounced Back Against the Dream After Losing to the Sun
GettyFever guard Caitlin Clark against the Dream’s Rhyne Howard at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 13, 2024.
Following the Fever’s blow out loss to Sun on June 10, Indiana nabbed their fourth win of the season against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday. While Clark put up 7 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds in the 91-84 victory, the big star of the night was Aliyah Boston.
Boston, the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year, tied a career-high 27 points with 13 rebounds. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell also showed out with 24 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds.
The Fever will look to keep the momentum going when they face the Chicago Sky on Sunday, June 16. The rematch tips off at 12 p.m. Eastern time at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana defeated Chicago 71-70 during their first tilt on June 1.