In a recent episode of their podcast, A Touch More, WNBA legend Sue Bird and retired U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe addressed a critical issue plaguing the league: racism. Their conversation included an important focus on Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever rookie who has not only captivated fans but also played a pivotal role in enhancing the popularity of women’s basketball.
Clark, who recently led her team to the WNBA playoffs, faced a tough first-round exit against the Connecticut Sun. Following a game two loss, Connecticut star Alyssa Thomas took to the media to express her dismay over racial comments directed at her from members of the Fever fan base. “It’s a lot of nonsense,” Thomas stated, emphasizing the unacceptable nature of the comments. “In my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base. Honestly, there’s no place for it.”
Thomas’s comments sparked a significant response on social media, earning over 3.4 million views, prompting Bird to weigh in on the longstanding issue of racism in the WNBA. Bird pointed out that racism is not a new problem in the league, stating that it predates Clark’s arrival, who was selected first overall in the April 2024 WNBA Draft. She asserted that Clark has been unfairly cast as a symbol or pawn in discussions surrounding racism within the league. “Racism has been impacting the WNBA well before this year,” Bird said. “Caitlin didn’t bring racism to the WNBA; this has been happening, and that’s what’s shocking for all of us—that other people are surprised by this. We’ve been trying to tell you.”
Bird elaborated on her own experiences combating racism during her career, which spanned from 2002 to 2022. “For so long, I would almost joke that I would have loved to have shut up and dribble. I would have loved to have been valued as a basketball player and spoken about just for my play,” she explained. “But nobody ever let us do that. So what happened? We started to build a backbone—a little bit of an identity. We understood that to push our league forward, we were going to have to combat these things.”
Having retired with an impressive legacy—including four WNBA Championships, 13 All-Star selections, and five All-WNBA First Team honors—Bird has been a trailblazer for future players like Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. She shared a poignant message about the power of standing up for oneself and others. “It feels good to stand up for yourself, but it feels even better to stand up for others. We started to learn that people were learning from us and able to follow us in a different way—and who are we following? Black women.”
As discussions around racism continue to surface within the WNBA, Bird and Rapinoe’s candid conversation underscores the need for ongoing dialogue and action against discrimination in sports. With the emergence of new talent like Caitlin Clark, the WNBA faces both the challenge of addressing its past and the opportunity to foster a more inclusive future.
