Caitlin Clark on narratives surrounding WNBA: 'It stinks how much the conversation is outside of basketball'

Everyone seems to have an opinion about Caitlin Clark and the way she is being treated as a rookie in the WNBA.

After Chennedy Carter knocked Clark down with a hard foul last weekend, some expressed the opinion that Clark is being unfairly targeted by veterans in the league. On the other hand, others argued that this is all part of being a highly-regarded rookie in the W.

Caitlin Clark was asked on Friday how much she pays attention to all of the narratives and opinions that are out there about the way she is being treated in the WNBA. It’s something she tries to avoid but can’t.

“Yea, I mean I’m not on social media. So I don’t see a lot of it. But you would be surprised,” Caitlin Clark said. “I still have my TV on in my house, and I’m watching sports. You’re still aware of it and you still see it.”

Clark loves how much attention women’s basketball is getting, but she feels like people are focusing on the wrong things. She would rather there be more conversations about the basketball on the court and the great players in the league than the way she is being treated.

“My focus is basketball. Sometimes it stinks how much the conversation is outside of basketball and not the product on the floor and the amazing players that are on the floor and how good they are for their teams and how great this season has been for women’s basketball and college basketball to now the WNBA,” Clark said. “Some of the crowds are unprecedented and have never been seen before and the viewership’s amazing. But yea, I mean I try to block it out. I don’t have social media on my phone. I don’t go on it. I don’t see a lot of it.”

The good news for Clark is that all of this attention isn’t new. Clark was also a polarizing player during her college career, and there were plenty of different opinions out there as she played at Iowa.

“I don’t really think it’s that different from when I was in college. Like everyone’s going to have their opinion. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. That’s just what it is,” Clark said. “I think you’ve just got to be focused on what’s in your locker room, what’s in your organization, how your teammates feel, how your coaches feel. And for me, that’s my focus. But also, I have a job to do at the same time, so that’s where my focus remains.”