Caitlin Clark speaks on ‘weaponization’ of her name in cultural debates: ‘I’m just here to play basketball’

Caitlin Clark just wants to play basketball.

The Indiana Fever rookie and former Iowa phenom is firmly entrenched at the center of the sports world. Her popularity is such that her name is transcending the game and is being cited in heated cultural conversations about gender and race relations.

By and large, Clark hasn’t chimed in much, even as she’s faced tough questions about the debates raging around her.

Clark spoke out Thursday, however, responding to questions from The Athletic’s Jim Trotter about what he described as the weaponization of her name in such discussions.

MORE: Why Caitlin Clark isn’t on 2024 U.S. Olympic team

“It’s not something I can control, so I don’t put too much thought and time into it,” she said. “To be honest, I don’t see a lot of it.”

#IndianaFever’s Caitlin Clark on her name being weaponized in non-sports topics:

“It’s not something I can control. … And to be honest, I don’t see a lot of it.”

“People can talk about what they want to talk about. … I’m just here to play basketball.”

Qs by @JimTrotter_NFL pic.twitter.com/VhGC7cIgLf

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024

The 22-year-old Fever guard reiterated that she’s focused solely on her game and will leave the rest up to others.

“People can talk about what they…