"Why was Serena Williams such a big star?" - Bill Maher silences Charlamagne tha God on Caitlin Clark-A'Ja Wilson comparison

Caitlin Clark's arrival in the WNBA has opened the floodgates for the league's popularity. Many people attribute this sudden rise in viewership and revenues to the Indiana Fever star as she has become one of the faces of the league in her rookie year.

However, some other stars of the league, such as former MVP A'ja Wilson, have spoken about not getting the same treatment as Clark. It has pushed a narrative of racism in the WNBA community.

On Friday's episode of his show Real Time, Bill Maher got into a debate with radio host/comedian Charlamagne tha God on the issue of Caitlin Clark and Wilson.

Charlamagne tha God argued on behalf of A'ja Wilson's statements where she claimed that she isn't marketable because of being a black woman and hence her hard work is ignored. He then asked Maher's view on why Wilson did not receive the push Clark is getting despite being a college star in her own right.

"A'ja Wilson was the biggest thing when she came out of South Carolina ... and she didn't get all of that," Charlamagne said, comparing Wilson's treatment to Clark's. "So what do you attribute that to?"

Maher asked Charlamagne if he was attributing it to racism. The radio host clarified his take and said that it was not racism he was pointing out, but just that black female athletes should be listened to when they make a point.

But Maher left Charlemagne without an answer as he drew a parallel to tennis legend Serena Williams and her dominant career in a sport with even fewer black players than the WNBA.

"Why was Serena Williams such a big star? Because people like that. They didn't not watch her because she was black, right?" Maher said.

Charlamagne was dumbfounded as he had no answer, and both sides laughed closing the discussion.

Caitlin Clark responds to A'ja Wilson's favoritism accusations against her

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson issued some controversial statements last month, in which she remarked on why Caitlin Clark was receiving a lot of coverage. Wilson claimed that race is a factor in terms of marketability and that being a black woman has inherent disadvantages.

In response to Wilson's statement, Caitlin Clark replied:

"I think there's opportunities for every single player in women's basketball," Clark said.

The Indiana Fever star explained that it is not about race but about providing and capitalizing on the opportunities. She claimed that the more opportunities women get, the more popularity the league would attain.