WNBA star Satou Sabally says it’s ‘unfair’ to make Caitlin Clark the spokesperson for the fight against white privilege

Caitlin Clark helped propel the WNBA to unprecedented popularity and fan interest this season. With this increased attention comes increased surveillance.

Clark is by far the most popular player in the league and the Indiana Fever guard has been at the center of an intense debate over whether she is receiving too much attention and too many people defending her during her rookie season. The controversy put Clark in the uncomfortable position of having to address issues of race and white privilege. Dallas Wings and former Oregon Ducks star Satou Sabally said there should be a broader conversation about these topics, but that Clark shouldn’t be the spokesperson.

“Making her the spokesperson for that is a lot. Can you talk about white privilege? Yes you can. But should we be its spokesperson? I don’t think…I think it’s unfair to put that burden on someone,” Sabally said during an appearance on “Podcast P with Paul George.” “But I think it’s good as a society to have this conversation (about white privilege) and why we feel so strongly about certain things and ‘Why do some players get more endorsement deals than others ?’ But I think she does a great job.

Sabally was referring to the fact that Clark had been criticized for not explaining how his name was being used to fuel racism and misogyny among fans. Clark said Thursday that she prefers to focus on basketball, contrary to what the public says about her. This response led Connecticut Sun guard Dijonai Carrington to criticize Clark’s stance.

Clark spoke more forcefully later in the day.

“It’s disappointing. I think everyone in our world deserves the same respect,” Clark told reporters. “Women in our league deserve the same respect. People should not use my name to promote these programs . It’s disappointing, it’s not acceptable.

Clark’s impact on the WNBA is undeniable, but some WNBA players are said to resent Clark and want her to fail.

Sabally rejected this type of thinking.

“Not everyone wants someone to fail,” Sabally said on Podcast P with Paul George. “If you want someone to fail you’re jealous, you’re not great if you want someone else to fail because you can’t prove your own greatness.”

Sabally, entering her fifth season after being the No. 2 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, offered some encouraging words to Clark.

“I think she’s doing a great job and I would just tell her, ‘I’m proud of you, keep doing your thing and try to quiet the noise,'” Sabally said. “What I hope for her is that she always knows that there is a community of women around her who want her to succeed.