"She’s the worst sort of racist": Fans discuss A'ja Wilson for allegedly 'downplaying' Caitlin Clark's fame due to race

For better or for worse, A'ja Wilson is in the WNBA news all year long. Even when the league is on break, the two-time WNBA champion is a hot topic of conversation.

Case in point, fans are talking about Wilson in the aftermath of Caitlin Clark being named TIME magazine's 2024 Athlete of the Year. This is because TIME's piece on Clark brought up this particular quote from Wilson:

"I think a lot of people may say it's not about black and white, but to me, it is," said the Las Vegas Aces center. "It really is because you can be topnotch at what you are as a black woman, but yet maybe that's something that people don't want to see."

Wilson has also implied that she takes this matter quite personally.

"They don't see it as marketable, so it doesn't matter how hard I work... That's why it boils my blood when people say it's not about race because it is."

A day after the TIME piece came out, netizens discussed the quote and Wilson:

Some online users criticized A'ja Wilson's self-awareness in her comments directed at Clark.

"Crazy she talks about privileged but she attended a private school so she was privileged as well," one fan pointed out.

"And when she talks about white privilege she guarantees that her only fans base is from black people," said another.

"My problem with her is victimhood is horribly off-putting…. Which is why reflection and accountability would better serve her," one fan commented.

Other fans have indicated that they'd rather redirect their focus to the on-court performances of both Wilson and Clark.

"The first time Aja mentioned CC success was because of her race, I thought, okay, she just entered the league, let’s wait and see." said one observer. "But now that she’s broken all these records, why can’t Aja just give her credit without bringing race into it?"

"...There's something to be said about being competitive and not settling for less than greatness... but to always come off as bitter and as if that greatness is owed to you... c'mon," another fan said. "And she could not for the life of her give a compliment to CC's game that wasn't backhanded."

A'ja Wilson has made comments about race in the past

This is not the first time that A'ja Wilson has made comments about race being the decisive factor in a fellow hooper's success. Amid the 2024 WNBA Finals, a clip of Wilson talking about UConn's Paige Bueckers went viral.

In this clip, A'ja Wilson is heard telling her Las Vegas teammate Kelsey Plum:

"Us as Black women, Paige reminds me a lot of you. She knows her privilege has gotten her to that point."

Though Wilson does acknowledge Bueckers' skills, she ultimately doubles down on her main claim:

"She's good at basketball, obviously. Like, she understands her privilege. It's like what pushes her over the top, in a sense."

A WNBA analyst has even gone so far as to call A'ja Wilson "a race peddler." As the stardom of Caitlin Clark continues to grow, WNBA fans will keep their ears and eyes peeled for more comments on the subject.