A light-hearted discussion at All-Star Weekend with some of the WNBA’s most recognizable analysts has sparked a large amount of backlash online. However, instead of being focused on who was included, the criticism was on one player who went unmentioned: Caitlin Clark.
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During a rapid-fire interview segment by Front Office Sports, Netflix’s Elle Duncan, analyst LaChina Robinson, and journalist Ari Chambers were asked a bunch of questions about the WNBA’s future, including the next business success, the future face of the league, and who would make the best commissioner.
Across the categories, several stars received glowing recommendations. Duncan picked Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers as the player most likely to launch a successful company, highlighting her communication skills and authenticity. Robinson was also full of praise for Bueckers.
“I would go with Paige Bueckers,” she said when asked about the future face of the league. “I just feel like Paige is so mature in knowing herself and who she is.”
When the discussion shifted to personal branding, both Robinson and Chambers decided to choose Angel Reese, with Chambers highlighting her making the most of off-court opportunities while continuing to produce results on the floor. Duncan, meanwhile, highlighted A’ja Wilson for her signature shoes and her personality.
Another unanimous choice was Nneka Ogwumike, who both Robinson and Chambers picked when asked about who would make the best WNBA commissioner. It’s a clear choice, given that she’s been the WNBPA’s president since 2016.
However, while the conversation itself celebrated big names across the league, Clark’s omission quickly dominated online conversation.
Fans question Caitlin Clark’s absence from the discussion
Although none of these questions specifically mentioned Caitlin Clark, her not being named for any of the categories drew a lot of backlash from fans of the star guard and the Indiana Fever.
One fan wrote, “Trying to ignore Caitlin Clark 24-7 is the worst look from every single one of you.”
Another added, “They want to pretend CC doesn’t exist and then in the same breath say nobody dislikes her.”
Others argued Clark’s commercial impact made her an obvious candidate, pointing to record-breaking TV audiences, attendance figures, and sales she has generated since entering the WNBA. In fact, at Chicago’s United Center on Saturday for the WNBA All-Star Game, Clark put up a great performance in front of a record 19,783 fans.
“This is why the WNBA has always failed as a business model, one comment,” one comment read. “They finally have a product the masses want to watch and spend their $ on, and they want to minimize it. Never watching this trash once CC is done with the league.”
One fan in particular expected a shoutout for Clark from Duncan, but no such luck. “I expected @elleduncantv to maybe be the one person in this video that didn’t have s*** for brains or Caitlin Clark hate but I was wrong,” they wrote.
Another saw Clark being removed from discussions about the league’s future as ludicrous, considering her all-around impact.
“haha, so funny,” the fan wrote. “Keep building what exactly? Ghosting CC looks so staged , whatever. she will be the first to 500 million for sure.”
Whether intentional or not, Clark not even getting a mention ended up igniting a wave of backlash.