Caitlin Clark's Brother Responds To 'Time' Criticism From WNBA Owner

Colin Clark, the brother of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, shared a subtle response to Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson claiming the WNBA should've been recognized as a whole after his sister was named TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year.

Colin re-shared Front Office Sports' X post from September 19 highlighting that "a record 20,711 fans were in attendance" for the game between his sister's Fever and Johnson's Mystics, which was "the largest crowd in WNBA history." Caitlin Clark's emergence as college basketball's top star -- eventually becoming the NCAA all-time leading scorer for both women and men -- and phenomenal rookie season have led to a significant spike in viewership of women's basketball over the last year.

“I’ve been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women’s sports, let alone women’s basketball, and turn them into fans,” Clark told TIME in her Athlete of the Year cover story.

Johnson made an appearance on CNN days after Clark was given the honor and questioned why TIME "couldn't have put the whole WNBA on that cover."

“When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings,” said Johnson, the co-founder of BET, who also owns the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals.

The clip of Johnson's interview shared by CNN Sports' X account included a context note stating, "31% of the mystics' total home attendance for the entire 2024 season came from two games versus Caitlin Clark and the Fever."

Clark, herself, mentioned the pioneering Black WNBA legends she idolized growing up and acknowledged what she perceived as "white privilege" amid her superstardom during the TIME interview.

“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said. “A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”

This story is brought to you by the Women's Sports Audio Network (WSAN). WSAN is the first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to women's sports. WSAN celebrates female athletes and gives an in-depth look into their personal experiences in and out of their respective sports. Check out more on the WSAN site.