Writer says Caitlin Clark puts black and queer WNBA players 'in danger' by flopping

LINK

USA Today columnist Nancy Armour wants Caitlin Clark to stop flopping and berating WNBA officials.

Plenty of people agree with that take, including OutKick's Dan Dakich.

Others would argue that Clark’s frustration is understandable, given the physical treatment she has received and the WNBA’s inconsistent officiating. Either way, Armour is well within her rights to criticize Clark’s behavior on the court.

But Armour’s latest column goes much further than that. Much, much further.

Armour argues that Clark’s reactions to missed calls put "Black" and "queer" WNBA players "in danger," essentially blaming Clark for alleged racist messages sent by people she doesn’t know and has publicly condemned.

No, this is not satire.

The column begins by declaring that Clark and her "enablers must take the rest of us for idiots." Armour points to two recent plays, one involving Chelsea Gray and another involving Kiah Stokes, as proof that Clark exaggerates contact and creates false narratives about opposing players.

As far as the Gray play, Armour and others have pointed out that Clark didn't go to the floor until after the whistle, suggesting that she was pretending to be hurt.

But anyone who understands sports beyond using them as a vehicle for political commentary knows that athletes routinely play through pain while the action is still live, then react once the whistle blows. Clark waiting until the play ended before going down doesn't prove that she faked an injury.

The second play shows that this column isn't really about whether Clark flops. Armour is using disputed basketball plays to push a left-wing narrative about "Black and queer" women in the WNBA.


Lots more in the link.