WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark has admitted she is ’emotionally exhausted’ and drained by the non-stop controversy surrounding her, opening up in a candid interview about the constant off-court noise and on-court hostility.
The Indiana Fever guard confessed that the relentless media chatter and physical altercations leave her shoulders tense every time she steps out of the locker room.
‘When I walk out of the locker room, I shouldn’t be not fearful of what the conversation is gonna be… it’s emotionally exhausting. It’s draining,’ Clark confessed.
‘It makes your shoulders tense. Because, you know, people don’t wanna talk about the basketball. They just wanna stir it up and make something else,’ she told SportsCenter.
Addressing the recent physical clash with Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who delivered a strike to Clark’s throat during a heated sequence, the 24-year-old gave a brutally honest assessment of the foul.
‘It seems like there’s always a moment like that in every season that I’ve played so far,’ Clark admitted. ‘And I think for myself, like I just try to navigate it the best I can. It gets exhausting. It gets frustrating.’
WNBA star Caitlin Clark has admitted she is ’emotionally exhausted’ and drained by the non-stop controversy surrounding her – as she opened up in a rare and candid interview with ESPN
Alyssa Thomas ignited outrage after she was seen punching Clark in the neck during a game
Insisting the hard hit should have been dealt with strictly by game officials without devolving into a week-long media circus, Clark called for a return to focusing on the sport itself.
‘That’s a perfect example of like yeah, it was a hard foul and it should have been dealt with in the moment and they should have decided what it was then and reviewed it,’ Clark explained.
‘Great, we move on. You see it happen in the NBA all the time. It’s not anything more than that. It’s basketball.’
Beyond the physical fouls on the hardwood, the former No. 1 overall pick took direct aim at reporters and bloggers who fabricate false narratives about her character without taking the time to know her.
‘I think there’s just like a false characterization of who I am sometimes,’ Clark said.
‘And I get it like as a reporter or as a blogger, like you can write an opinion piece and that’s your job and whatever. But at the same time, like you don’t know me. Like we’ve never had a conversation.’
While acknowledging the media has a job to perform, Clark urged critics to stop attacking her personal character when they have no genuine insight into who she is behind closed doors.
Caitlin Clark has taken a stand against the vile social media hatred that WNBA players get
‘I get people have a job to do. But at the same time, like don’t make accusations about my character and who I am when you don’t know me,’ she urged.
‘I understand this is your job and this is your profession, and this is what you get to do. And basketball is my profession, what I get to do.’
Concluding with an emotional defense of her love for the game, Clark made it clear that no amount of outside drama will ruin her childhood dream of competing at the highest level.
‘The reason I play it is when I step in between the lines, I love it. And that’s what’s so fun about it for me is like, I get to compete,’ Clark declared. ‘This was always my dream. And nobody should ever try to take that away from me.’
