Stephen A. Smith calls out WNBA fans and players for Caitlin Clark’s harsh treatment.

WNBA star Caitlin Clark was named TIME magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year, making her the first WNBA player to win the award. The award capped off a massive year for Clark, which saw her wrap up her final year with the University of Iowa before taking the WNBA by storm.

She broke several league records en route to being named to the All-WNBA First Team and winning Rookie of the Year.

On Thursday, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith discussed Clark’s new achievement on his “The Stephen A. Show,” addressing harsh treatment from fellow players and fans. After listing Clark’s accomplishments throughout her rookie year, Smith shifted to her off-court impact before addressing the criticism she’s faced.

“Her presence led to higher ratings, improved travel for players and increased salaries for women across the league,” Smith said. “And that’s where I was going to go. That’s why she deserves the Athlete of the Year. You know what? She’s white. … Call it whatever you want. I’m not going to go as far as to say reverse racism.

“I don’t think people felt that way. But clearly when you consider some of the hard times other people gave her, they were resentful of the fact that this white girl came on the scene where there was a bunch of sisters that preceded her spanning decades that were big time, that deserved a lot of credit.”

“She can ball” – Stephen A. Smith addresses reluctance to accept how talented of a player Caitlin Clark is

As Stephen A. Smith went on to discuss in his passionate monologue that spanned nearly a full four minutes, he believes there was a reluctance to accept how talented Caitlin Clark is.Clark has proven to be a great ambassador for the game and has looked out for other players whenever possible.

For example, Indiana Fever President and COO Allison Barber said in September, as relayed by Sports Illustrated, that Clark wanted opposing teams to get paid more for games that sold out when the Fever were in town.

On top of that, in her interview with TIME, Clark said that she wants to shine a spotlight on black players, specifically those who made the WNBA what it is today.While praising Caitlin Clark, Stephen A. Smith pointed to the fact that with her arrival, the WNBA pulled the trigger on chartering flights for teams, something that changed the lives of players for the better.

“What a lot of people weren’t willing or were a bit reluctant to appreciate was the game on this young white sister of ours. She can ball. And oh, by the way, she was a great ambassador for the game. And by the way, she came in there and looked out for Everybody else. … That’s who Caitlin Clark is.

“That’s why white, black or otherwise, I call her a sister. Cause she looked out for the sisters and everybody else in between. Yes, she did. And when you had some of the trolls, some of the sorry ass people that were fans of hers that were engaging in racist or prejudicial tendencies. She spoke out against that.

“Clark won’t be back in action until May 17 when she and the Fever will tip off the 2025 WNBA season with a home game against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.