Caitlin Clark Responds To Serena Williams 'White People' ESPYS Joke That Had Fans Fuming
For those (like me) hoping Caitlin Clark would respond to Serena Williams' viral ‘white people’ joke at the ESPYS with the rage of a thousand suns … I've got bad news for you. She did not.
Sad. Not unexpected. But sad, at least for those of us in #content game.
For those who didn't watch the ESPYS – and that's all of you reading this right now – Williams was a regular comedian up on stage Thursday night. She not only took a predictable shot at Harrison Butker, but she followed that up by calling out all us white folk who suddenly like the WNBA.
Frankly, I thought it was funny. But I'm also not a super sensitive person and enjoy dark (light?) humor.
"Caitlin Clark had an amazing year and is nominated for three awards," Williams said. "You are the Larry Bird in that you are an amazing player, you have ties to Indiana, and white people are really crazy about you."
See? Not bad. Decent. I give it a solid 7 out of 10.
Some people were turned off by the remarks, which I somewhat get as well. You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, (Michael Scott) Wayne Gretzky once said.
Anyway, Clark was asked about Serena's performance yesterday, and took the high road:
"Something that really stood out to me was like, how much women’s basketball was a part of the show," Clark said, per Matthew Byrne. "I think it shows where women’s basketball is going and obviously women’s athletics in general.
"Obviously, Serena did a tremendous job hosting," she added.
Here's part of the clip:
Caitlin Clark puts on a media masterclass once again
I mean, nobody does the press conference game better than Caitlin Clark. Absolute masterclass. Someone in the Iowa communications department is getting a raise this year!
Like I said, I thought the Serena joke was funny. I've long said that just because Caitlin Clark is white doesn't mean we can't acknowledge it. Like, it's just a fact. She's white. She's also a really good basketball player. Like, stupid good.
Those two things are true and they can be talked about and joked about. It's OK. I promise.
Now, do white people only like her because she's …white? I doubt it. If she sucked and was white and still had all this crazy popularity, then you'd probably be on to something. But, being an absolute assassin from beyond the arc surely helps, right? Just a hunch. Maybe I'm wrong. Lord knows it wouldn't be the first time.
Anyway, glad Caitlin took the high road here. Fans were fuming on the World Wide Web yesterday, but she didn't seem to care. If she did, she didn't show it. Again, a media masterclass.