​There’s no denying that Caitlin Clark is the most visible figure in the WNBA, a status she has held since she entered the league in 2024. Consequently, one high-profile conservative sports commentator believes the other players around the league “hate” her. During a recent appearance on Fox News, anti-trans activist and right-wing sports pundit Riley Gaines spoke up in defense of Clark while taking aim at the WNBA, claiming that Clark is despised by many within the league and that she has become a conservative talking point mainly because she is “good at basketball.”
Since Clark joined the WNBA, conservative sports commentators have often used her as a catalyst for cultural and political discussions. It has been widely assumed that this dynamic stems from the fact that Clark is a straight white woman in a league with a large presence of players of color and members of the LGBTQ community. Yet Gaines argues that isn’t the core issue. “Have they considered that the real reason we care about Caitlin Clark and her safety isn’t about race or sexuality, but about her talent?” Gaines asked rhetorically on Fox News. “Because she’s a generational talent who has reshaped not only the sport of women’s basketball but women’s sports as a whole? Have they considered that? No, I don’t think so.”
Gaines went on to criticize former Vice President Kamala Harris for her recent visit to the Los Angeles Sparks’ locker room, highlighting the controversy that accompanied FBI Director Kash Patel’s similar visit with Team USA after their Olympic hockey gold. Returning to Clark, Gaines asserted that WNBA players “hate” her. “Here’s what I’ll say about Caitlin Clark,” she continued. “It’s clear that she is the golden goose of the WNBA. Do they hate her because she’s white? Maybe. Do they hate her because she’s straight? Maybe. I think it’s rooted in jealousy.” She added, “I think she was the queen of the WNBA before she ever stepped foot on a court, and they hate her for it.”
Gaines did not spare the league itself, criticizing the WNBA as an organization. “I have not seen a league or an organization more prone to self-implosion than the WNBA,” she commented. “But I don’t think they need to worry about their marketing or their ratings because they’re subsidized by the NBA.” Gaines—who is a former college swimmer—gained notoriety for tying transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for fifth place at the 2022 NCAA championships. Since then, she has devoted much of her public platform to opposing transgender athletes, growing her profile on social media and launching a podcast, Gaines for Girls, that centers on her views on transgender issues and related topics.