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Credit: YouTube via Indiana Fever, Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
The Indiana Fever have had a controversy-filled season. At the beginning of the campaign, the focus was on superstar Caitlin Clark and her inconsistent performances as she returned to play after missing most of last season with various soft-tissue injuries. As of late, however, the Fever-related headlines have centered on comments reserve guard Sophie Cunningham made on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” Cunningham told ESPN. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Cunningham’s take caused a frenzy, with everyone from Stephen A. Smithto the White House weighing in, and endless debate raging online.
For Clark’s part, when she was asked about things, she did her best to keep the focus squarely on basketball rather than publicly back her teammate’s stance.
“I think, for us, it’s not really a discussion we really have in our locker room,” Clark said after being asked about the topic. “I think it’s for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions, but our focus is on basketball.”
She quickly shut down a follow-up question on the matter, responding, “I just answered for you.”
Many, such as conservative pundit Megyn Kelly, were incensed with Clark for avoiding the comment rather than supporting Cunningham. On Thursday, in her pregame presser before facing the Las Vegas Aces, Clark explained her decision and the pressure she’s been under for years as one of the biggest celebrities in U.S. sports.
“First and foremost, you speak when you feel like you wanna speak,” Clark said. “I think, for myself, I’ve been in this position for what? Five years now? Four years? I think I have a good feel of what’s gonna be asked, what’s not gonna be asked, how to approach each situation.
“I try to show up and just be myself every single day. I hope fans feel like they can connect with me in that way, but at the same time, I’m 24 years old. I’m trying to navigate life. I’m trying to navigate playing at the highest level. And then sometimes, you get asked a lot of questions, and sometimes, that’s your responsibility, and sometimes, you want to keep the focus on basketball. I feel like you just do your best to navigate it, you go with your gut, and I feel any time I’m up at this podium, I try to give you my authentic self the best way I can.”
It’s great that one of the most inspiring young stars in sports is so confident in the way she presents herself and is such a strong role model for the children watching her.
The post Caitlin Clark breaks her silence on not backing Sophie Cunningham’s trans comments appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.
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