"Deserving and self-aware" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian shares his feelings on Caitlin Clark acknowledging her 'white privilege' in WNBA
Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, has stood up for Caitlin Clark amid discussions surrounding her perceived privilege in light of her winning the TIME Athlete of the Year award. Ohanian lauded the WNBA star for acknowledging her privilege and defended her against the criticism.
After an impressive collegiate career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark made waves with her stellar debut season in the WNBA. Drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever, the 22-year-old produced an exceptional season and won the coveted Rookie of the Year award while also elevating the sport's popularity and shattering records for attendance and viewership.
Caitlin Clark's historic rookie season culminated in her being named the TIME Athlete of the Year. However, the honor also sparked conversations about the 22-year-old being in a privileged position as a white woman in the WNBA. The Indiana Fever star addressed the racial dynamics in her interview with Time magazine, admitting that, "as a white person, there is privilege." She also emphasized the need to "elevate Black women" in the sport.
In response, Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, took to social media and asserted that it was possible to acknowledge Clark's "excellence" while recognizing her privilege without undermining her accomplishments.
"What if I told you it's possible to celebrate excellence AND acknowledge privilege," he posted on X.
The Reddit co-founder also shared an excerpt from Caitlin Clark's interview where she acknowledged that the WNBA was "built on Black players," emphasizing that the 22-year-old was well deserving of her accolades while also being "self-aware."
"Shout to @CaitlinClark22: absolutely deserving of her accolades, which she earned being excellent, and also self-aware," he wrote.
Ohanian further commended the 22-year-old for gracefully managing the "massive spotlight" thrust on her at a young age, highlighting that she had positively impacted women's basketball and sports overall.
"She's had to step into a massive spotlight at such a young age at such a loaded time in our country, amidst so much social-media-point-scoring-BS and women's basketball, women's sports, hell, all of sports is so much better off bc of her and how she's handled it all," he commented further.
"Well deserved!" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian on Caitlin Clark winning TIME Athlete of the Year Award
Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, also congratulated Caitlin Clark on her "well-deserved" TIME Athlete of the Year award, sharing that he was excited to see what she would achieve in 2025.
"Congrats @CaitlinClark22 — well deserved! We're all excited to see what 2025 brings," Ohanian posted.
Ohanian has supported the 22-year-old since her college basketball days, disclosing that he once advised Clark to preserve her gear as he expressed his delight over a $150,000 bid on her game-worn lowa Hawkeyes jersey.
Serena Williams has also shown her support for Caitlin Clark, expressing her admiration for the Indiana Fever star's ability to stay "grounded" and avoid the negativity on social media.