Caitlin Clark comment by Mystics co-owner comes back to haunt her and leaves her red-faced

Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson was left red-faced after her comments on Caitlin Clark were recently put into context by X’s Community Notes system in quite the online humbling

Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson found herself in an awkward position after her criticism of Caitlin Clark backfired.

Clark had a phenomenal rookie season with the Indiana Fever in 2024, smashing several WNBA records and leading her team to its first playoff run since 2016. The 22-year-old was deservedly crowned the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year for her exceptional court performances, securing 66 out of the 67 total votes for the accolade

Recently, TIME magazine named Clark their Athlete of the Year for 2024 – a decision that has been met with widespread approval. However, Johnson had some pointed remarks for the publication. In a CNN Sport interview on Friday, Johnson argued that the media should focus more on promoting the league as a whole rather than just highlighting Clark’s achievements.

Johnson questioned why TIME didn’t “put the whole WNBA on that cover” explaining: “When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings.” She also noted that the recent success of the WNBA isn’t solely due to Clark, stating: “It’s Angel Reese as well.

“We have so much talent out there that has been unrecognized. I don’t think we can just pin it on one player.” By May, Clark had managed to fill WNBA arenas to an impressive 94 per cent capacity, while contributing a significant 26 per cent to the league’s economic activity, as reported by Essentially Sports.

Johnson was left blushing when her comments ignited a firestorm on social media, especially coming under scrutiny from X’s Community Notes system, which aims to bring trust and fact-checking into the digital space. The $12.32bn franchise introduced this system to ensure that the stream of information online is credible.

Caitlin Clark was named as TIME’s Athlete of the Year, but Sheila Johnson disagrees ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
One such note, which certainly didn’t go in Johnson’s favor, explained: “31% of the Mystics’ total home attendance for the entire 2024 season came from just two games against Caitlin Clark and the Fever,” potentially leaving the Mystics co-owner feeling muted. After four standout years at Iowa, Clark’s status rocketed when she became the top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Fever.

The rookie guard wowed audiences, averaging 19.2 points, 5.6 turnovers, 1.3 steals, and 5.7 rebounds per game, setting several records in her debut season. Not only did Clark lead the league in assists, but she also claimed spots on the All-Rookie Team, the All-WNBA First Team, and earned an All-Star selection.

With anticipation bubbling for 2025, fans are keen to witness Clark’s evolution, particularly with her new collaboration with Fever icon Stephanie White, who steps up as head coach after Christie Sides’ exit.