Caitlin Clark brushed off the controversy surrounding her TIME Magazine interview this week to soak up some college basketball.
The WNBA superstar was named TIME’s 2024 Athlete of the Year this week following a sensational breakout season in the league, which saw her topple records.
However, 22-year-old faced backlash to her interview with the magazine, in which she spoke about ‘white privilege’ that fell her way as she entered the league and drove up the interest levels.
But Clark put the criticism behind her as she joined her NBA counterpart, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, at Wisconsin men’s basketball game against Butler.
The pair, along with Haliburton’s girlfriend, have become close friends since Clark’s arrival in Indianapolis earlier this year.
The group were spotted happily chatting away as they occupied what appeared to be a private box with reserved seating.
Caitlin Clark was honored with TIME’s Athlete of the Year award for 2024 earlier this week
The WNBA star attended a college basketball game with Tyrese Haliburton Saturday
As part of winning TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year, Clark gave a wide-ranging interview discussing many parts of her rise to fame, including how race has played a role in her status.
The 22-year-old said the WNBA has ‘been built on’ black players and that ‘as a white person, there is privilege’.
The comments sparked controversy online with the likes of OutKick founder Clay Travis and Dave Portnoy criticizing the Indiana Fever superstar.
Jason Whitlock abandoned his support of Clark in a hysterical meltdown, claiming her comments left him in tears, while conservative activist Riley Gaines also weighed in on the debate.
Meanwhile, Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson went on a weird rant about Clark during a recent interview, claiming her TIME award should not have gone to just the league Rookie of the Year.
Clark found herself at the center of a race storm during her first season in the WNBA amid accusations that she was the victim of jealousy and bullying .
Clark won the TIME award after boosting the WNBA’s popularity. Upon her arrival, the sharpshooter inspired a spike in the league’s viewership and attendance numbers.
Her performances warranted the following as she racked up unpresented number and broke standing records .
Before turning pro, Clark built a wide following with the Iowa Hawkeyes, where she led the team to back-to-back title games, despite losing both. She became the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft and helped the Indiana Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Clark secured the Rookie of the Year honor while finishing fourth in MVP voting.
