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A’ja Wilson Addresses Backlash Over Caitlin Clark ‘Privilege’ Comments

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Enzo Flojo | Last updated Feb 20, 2025 9:13 PM ET

Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson has addressed the backlash surrounding Caitlin Clark’s comments about racial privilege in women’s basketball. Clark previously acknowledged that as a white player, she benefits from certain privileges. The Indiana Fever star went on to express a desire to use her platform to help ensure Black athletes receive greater visibility and investment.

The comments sparked debate across the basketball community, prompting Wilson to weigh in with a powerful response.

Wilson has built an illustrious WNBA career, winning back-to-back WNBA titles while cementing herself as one of the league’s most dominant players. Despite her success, she has repeatedly spoken about the additional challenges Black players face in gaining mainstream recognition and opportunities.

“As a Black woman in the WNBA, we have our struggles in showcasing who we really are,” Wilson told Lucy Feldman of TIME. “A lot of agendas get pushed on a lot of different platforms that may shadow us... So when we can have our counterparts speak up, it speaks volumes to me because they're in spaces where my path is never supposed to go.”

Wilson then praised Clark's willingness to acknowledge the racial dynamics at play in the WNBA and also expressed frustration over the backlash the latter faced for her comments.

“I know [Clark] got a lot of backlash from that because obviously we live in a world where they don't want that, and it's exhausting," Wilson added. "But imagine dealing with that and then having to go out and play every single night, having to constantly have to worry, how are they about to downgrade my resume now? What more do I have to do in order to showcase how elite and how serious I take my job?”

With influential voices like Wilson and Clark speaking on these issues, the conversation is growing louder and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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