“So much negative discourse” – Sparks’ Lexie Brown jabs at Mystics owner Sheila Johnson’s controversial comments on Caitlin Clark

Sparks’ Lexie Brown jabs at Mystics owner Sheila Johnson’s controversial comments on Caitlin Clark (Image credit: Getty)

Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson sparked controversy with her comments about Caitlin Clark earning the TIME Athlete of the Year honor. She rejected the idea that only one player should win the award, arguing that the WNBA benefited from the contributions of many players in reaching its current level of success and building a strong product.

LA Sparks guard Lexie Brown shared a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) criticizing Johnson’s remarks. A fan account dedicated to Clark posted a screenshot of tweets from Brown, whose account is private.

“Saying that after having to move her team’s games to a bigger arena when they played the fever is absolutely insane,” Brown wrote.

“Can we please stop taking steps backwards?! … She also didn’t even mention her own stellar rookie. just unserious😑,” Brown added.

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The Mystics received solid contributions from ex-UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards, the No. 6 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, who posted averages of 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 49.0%.

“So much negative discourse and non basketball topics. can’t wait to change that,” Brown said.

The Mystics co-owner argued that the WNBA should have been named “League of the Year,” and that one player consistently receiving all the attention and honors could lead to hard feelings among her peers.

Caitlin Clark recalls her journey from playing in front of friends and family to selling out arenas

Caitlin Clark has always made a strong impression wherever she went. From scoring 26 goals in six soccer matches in high school to becoming the face of women’s basketball, Clark has consistently been in the spotlight.

During her interview with TIME, she recalled going from playing in front of a few people to bringing plenty of fans to arenas.

“When I first got to college it was COVID,” Clark said. “And, you know, I played in front of absolutely nobody other than like family and friends.”

“In my second year, there were fans there, but the end of my junior year is kind of when it began to take off. I feel like that’s when people really started to, not only love Iowa women’s basketball, but love women’s basketball even more than they already did.”

In the 2024 season, the WNBA experienced the Caitlin Clark effect, setting attendance records in both game attendance and viewership thanks to the attention brought in by the Rookie of the Year.