The grocery store buzzed with its usual rhythm—shoppers browsing aisles, carts clattering, and muffled conversations filling the air. It was a sunny afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, where Caitlin Clark, the celebrated basketball star, had grown up. She loved returning to her roots, blending into the everyday life of her hometown when she wasn’t on the court. Today, she wore a casual hoodie with the University of Iowa logo and comfortable sneakers, hoping for a quiet grocery run.
But what started as a routine errand would soon turn into something no one could have predicted.
Near the fresh produce section, an elderly woman, likely in her late 70s, adjusted her glasses while inspecting a bag of apples. Her skin was dark, and her demeanor was sharp, with an air of impatience about her. She muttered to herself as she shuffled closer to the fruit display. Caitlin, standing nearby, was reaching for a bag of oranges when their paths crossed.
The woman’s expression changed when her eyes landed on Caitlin. Her jaw tightened, and her posture stiffened as though she’d just seen something unpleasant. The subtle shift didn’t go unnoticed by Caitlin, who continued her task, unaware of what was about to unfold.
“You people don’t belong here,” the elderly woman said loudly, her voice cutting through the hum of the store.
Caitlin froze, her hand hovering over the bag of oranges. She turned slowly, her brows knitting in confusion. The woman took a step closer, her gaze unwavering. “Go back to Europe where you came from,” she spat, her voice rising with each word.
The atmosphere in the store shifted immediately. Nearby shoppers stopped in their tracks, some exchanging uneasy glances while others turned away, pretending not to notice. The rhythm of the store came to a screeching halt, replaced by an uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch on forever.
Caitlin’s initial reaction was shock. Her lips parted slightly as if to speak, but no words came. She blinked, processing the weight of the accusation around her. The tension was palpable. A young mother quickly steered her toddler away, while an older man near the potatoes adjusted his glasses and looked down, unsure of what to do. The woman, still clutching her bag of apples, stood her ground—there was no hesitation or regret in her posture, only defiance.
Caitlin straightened her shoulders, her basketball instincts kicking in as she evaluated her next move. She could feel the weight of dozens of eyes on her, silently urging her to respond, yet no one stepped forward. Her heart raced, but her face remained calm. Instead of reacting with anger, Caitlin inhaled deeply, grounding herself. She shifted her weight slightly, setting her grocery basket down on the floor. The crowd held its collective breath, waiting for what she would do next.
Caitlin turned to the woman, her voice calm but firm. “Ma’am,” she began, her tone measured and respectful, “do you realize what you just said?”
Her words hung in the air, cutting through the heavy silence. The elderly woman’s gaze hardened, her chin lifting as if to double down. “I said what I said,” she replied curtly. “This is our country. People like you don’t belong here.”
A sharp gasp came from a young employee restocking bananas nearby. A few shoppers exchanged murmurs, their discomfort plain on their faces, but no one moved to intervene. Caitlin’s eyes scanned the small crowd, noting their hesitance. Her jaw tightened, but she resisted the urge to lash out. Instead, she exhaled slowly, her composure unshaken.
“All right,” Caitlin said, her voice steady though her heart pounded in her chest. She gestured subtly, inviting the crowd’s attention. “Since you brought it up, let’s talk about belonging.”
The woman’s defiance faltered slightly, her fingers gripping her bag of apples tighter. The shoppers around them, some pretending to browse, couldn’t help but inch closer to listen. Caitlin’s tone softened, but the strength in her words remained unyielding. “My great-grandparents came to this country looking for a better life,” she began, her voice carrying the conviction of someone who had told this story before. “They worked the fields, built homes, and contributed to this community. Iowa is where they chose to raise their family, where they dreamed of a future for their children and grandchildren.”
She paused, her eyes meeting the elderly woman’s. “My family didn’t just live here; they helped shape this place, and they did it with the same determination and grit that made this country what it is today.”
The woman’s lips tightened, but Caitlin continued, her voice growing firmer, resonating with the crowd. “Basketball gave me the chance to represent this town, this state, and this country on courts all over the world. And every time I step onto that
Caitlin Clark responds to bigotry in WNBA audience: ‘People should not be using my name to push those agendas’
Amid discourse around the rookie phenom, the Fever got their fourth win of the season
As discourse around Indiana Fever rookie and women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark grows louder, some of the discussion has taken an uglier turn into racism and misogyny directed at the rest of the WNBA.
On Thursday, Clark refuted that language, saying that she does not want her name used in that context.
“Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect,” Clark said in response to a question from The Athletic’s James Boyd. “People should not be using my name to push those agendas.”
I asked #IndianaFever’s Caitlin Clark directly about her name being weaponized for racism/misogyny (as Dijonai Carrington alluded to):
“It’s disappointing. … Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.” pic.twitter.com/gyAWBqGG8c
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024
Clark’s response came after an answer to a question asked by The Athletic’s Jim Trotter earlier on Thursday, in which Clark said that her name being weaponized is out of her control.
“I’m just here to play basketball,” Clark said.
#IndianaFever’s Caitlin Clark on her name being weaponized in non-sports topics:
“It’s not something I can control. … And to be honest, I don’t see a lot of it.”
“People can talk about what they want to talk about. … I’m just here to play basketball.”
Qs by @JimTrotter_NFL pic.twitter.com/VhGC7cIgLf
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024
The answer, which some perceived as dismissive of the bigotry pervasive in the conversation, prompted criticism, including from Connecticut Sun guard Dijonai Carrington, who posted about the response on X.
“How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts,” Carrington wrote. “We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury.”
Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts. We all see the sh*t. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury.
— dιjonaι carrιngтon♛ (@DijonaiVictoria) June 13, 2024
Boyd asked Clark the more specific question, relating to racism and misogyny, soon after Carrington’s post. There, the former Iowa guard was more clear.
“Just treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect I think is just a basic human thing that everybody should do,” Clark said. “I think it’s very simple.”
Clark has had to deal with a lot of noise since joining the WNBA in April, most recently around her being left off the Team USA Olympic roster — a perceived snub to many of her fans. Clark herself said that she sees being left off the team as “something to work for.”
On Thursday night, Clark and the Fever won their fourth game of the season with a 91–84 victory over the Atlanta Dream. Clark scored seven points on 3-for-11 shooting, adding four rebounds and six assists. Aliyah Boston led Indiana with 27 points and 13 rebounds, followed by Kelsey Mitchell’s 24 points.
