A'ja Wilson recently responded to comments that Caitlin Clark made during a TIME Magazine interview. Clark, who was named TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year in 2024, addressed the idea of "privilege" in her interview.
What did Caitlin Clark say?
"I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege," the Indiana Fever guard said. "A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.
"I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing."
Clark's comments drew some backlash. What did Wilson think of the comments, though?
A'ja Wilson responds to Caitlin Clark's comments
The Las Vegas Aces star was recently named as one of TIME's Women of the Year. As a result, she also had an interview and discussed a number of different topics. Wilson was ultimately asked about what Clark previously said.
"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 said. "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? But I also do it with love and passion and fun.
"A lot of people don't want to see me at the top, and that's fine, but I'm gonna be there, because I worked my butt off to get there."
Wilson, Clark making big impact on women's basketball
A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark are two of the most popular stars in the WNBA. Both Wilson and Clark have accomplished no shortage of impressive feats on the floor. Additionally, the WNBA stars have helped to grow women's basketball overall.
Sure, we can talk about the WNBA's immense growth. There is no question that they have both helped in that regard. In all reality, however, Clark and Wilson are making significant impacts on women's sports in general.
In the end, Clark and Wilson seem to have respect for one another. Wilson has been dominating the league for years now, while Clark is fresh off a stellar rookie campaign. The Aces and Fever stars will likely continue to lead the way as the WNBA, and overall women's sports, continues to trend in a promising direction.