Hate Against Caitlin Clark Pushed Too Far as Rachel DeMita Exposes Absurd Social Media Narratives

Caitlin Clark is going through something no person should ever have to. No doubt, the WNBA has thrived this year but it has also attracted many negative eyes. While the entire 28th season revolved around Clark being one of the most polarizing figures to ever exist in the basketball world and how that has impacted the other players, no one really asked what the 22-year-old has been going through. Although she prefers to respond with her dynamic playing style, Clark has remained silent otherwise. But seems like her true likers are here to take her side.

On the podcast Courtside Club, the host Rachel DeMita had a lot to say about the young star. “I’m sure, on the daily, she gets weird messages, she gets hateful messages, she gets trolling, she gets all of those things on her social media accounts,” said Rachel, emphasizing that the sheer level of stardom Caitlin Clark has achieved has led to immense scrutiny from the public.

“So many people within the WNBA sphere thought that she was the Golden Child and she was only getting praise… I feel like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders while just trying to play basketball as a 22-year-old.”

The Fever star has dealt with the hate, the love, and everything in between in her short time in the league. Surprisingly, the criticism was not just from the followers of the sport but even the veterans and the current players at times, making it only harder for the Des Moines native to focus on her job.

“I think the absolute best way to deal with trolls, to deal with someone threatening you, to deal with any of these things is to not respond. Do not engage, and keep receipt of those things, and I’m sure that’s what she was doing here,” said DeMita.

 

Time and again, Clark has remained silent in the face of criticism, focusing on what is actually important to her—basketball. Averaging nearly 20 pts, leading the league with 8.4 assists, and grabbing 6 rebounds is not normal for a rookie. Surely not becoming the very first WNBA rookie to get not just one but two triple-doubles. But people have always known her as a ‘ball is life’ kind of athlete.

In fact, there ran a narrative that everyone in the WNBA hated the point guard just because of the attention she grabbed. A rivalry with Angel Reese, becoming the face of the league, and a lot of criticism were all things she dealt with in her rookie year.

To go from being such a debated figure to winning the Rookie of the Year and being awarded the Time’s Athlete of the Year, Clark is really good at shutting out all the noise. And yet the question persists, is she all that?

Has Clark lived up to the expectations?

We know how much people love Caitlin Clark. Her time in Iowa was nothing short of legendary, and she broke hundreds of records. However, has the Indiana Fever star really lived up to the expectations fans had for her?

Clark is great at passing the ball, and she shoots the living daylights out of the ball. Even legends like LeBron James and Luka Doncic admit that she can shoot the three-ball. “The women’s Steph Curry.” The Slovenian guard called her, saying the Fever No. 22 can shoot better than him.

When praise comes from people like LeBron and Luka, you know that the Iowa alum is something special. Not to mention, LeBron is a full-fledged fan of Caitlin and compared her rookie year to his own in terms of the expectations they both had.

It must be tough for a rookie to have the kind of expectations that Clark had. Expectations were high. People expected Clark to become the face of the league, an All-Star. Some even had her as the MVP, where she landed in the top-5 spots, only sharing the stage as a rookie with Candace Parker. In spite of all this, Clark kept her wits about her as she entered the league. But has she done what LeBron managed to do? Has she lived up to the expectations?

Sep 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) possesses the ball during the first half against the Connecticut Sun during game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

As the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Times Athlete of the Year, some would say she has. Averaging solid numbers of 19.2ppg, 5.7rpg, and 8.4 apg, Caitlin Clark’s rookie year has been amazing. Since her entry into the league, viewership numbers have gone way up.

The WNBA recorded an all-time record of more than 54 million unique viewers, and attendance was up by about 48% from last season. On top of that, the Indiana Fever star broke the WNBA’s single-season assist record, putting up 322 assists in her rookie year.

As a future MVP and Olympics candidate, Caitlin Clark has cemented her place in the hearts of fans across the world. With the bar set very high, she has done her best to surpass every expectation that was put in front of her. Even with all of the hate, in spite of public narratives being unstable, she has delivered. Above all, it will be interesting to see what she does next.