Sue Bird offers a passionate take on Caitlin Clark's recent scrutiny - "Her race doesn't put the ball in the hoop"

Sue Bird made her thoughts clear about the scrutiny Caitlin Clark has been under following Clark's interview for Time as she was named 2024 Athlete of the Year. Among other things, Clark talked about her white privilege and how she'll try to uplift black women to have more recognition.

Bird responded to the people who attacked Clark over her comments, saying she put a WNBA issue under the spotlight and calling out her supposed fans for turning their back on the 2024 Rookie of the Year.

"Her race doesn't put the ball in the hoop. A lot of people have this idea that she's just a great basketball player, and that's it. I get that. Nobody's race puts the ball in the hoop. At the same time, she isn't apologizing. I don't read that remark and think she's apologizing for being white. What she's doing is acknowledging how our country is set up in terms of race, which I thought was wonderful," Bird said.

"She says how she watched the WNBA, looks up to Maya Moore, like she knows what's up. And now this faction of her fanbase, which we've discussed before, is now disgusted with her acknowledging this, showing they were never really here for basketball," Bird added. (23:18 mark)

Bird then wondered if Clark would have had a different treatment if she was a black woman, even questioning how people would have reacted to DiJonai Carrington poking the eye of another black player. She said that Clark deserved the award while shooting down unnecessary conversations about the Indiana Fever star.

Bird has been very vocal when it comes to praising and defending Clark, as she even highlighted what it meant for the WNBA that she made $11.1 million in 2024.

Sue Bird shares opinion on Caitlin Clark's reported $11.1 million earnings

Exactly a week ago, Bird reacted to Clark's reported $11.1 million earnings in 2024. She ranked 10th among the 15 highest-paid female athletes of the year, with 99% of her earnings coming from sponsorships.

Bird predicted that more brands would join the competition and bring in more money, which would help its growth.

Clark signed deals with huge brands, including Nike, Gatorade, Xfinix, and more. This was only in her rookie season, so it's fair to expect that number to go up.