"Caitlin Clark's gotta bend the knees" - Jason Whitlock breaks down A'ja Wilson's implied message in courtside talk with Kelsey Plum

By Orlando Silva

Modified Jun 06, 2024 18:38 GMT

Veteran analyst Jason Whitlock on Thursday had a strong response to A'ja Wilson's April comments to Las Vegas Aces teammate Kelsey Plum about Paige Bueckers' "privilege." He said that for Clark to be accepted in the league, she needs to align with movements popular among WNBA players and that Wilson is "delusional."

"To me, it spells out that if Caitlin Clark wants to be treated well, she's gotta bend the knees to Black Lives Matter, the whole Black feminist movement, the whole Yass Queen movement the way (UConn star) Paige Bueckers does," Whitlock said.

Here's what Wilson, a two-time WNBA MVP, told Plum while sitting courtside at the Final Four as Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes topped UConn 71-69. Wilson knew the conversation would be recorded as she was wearing a microphone while participating in AT&T's Courtside Cam.

“Us, as Black women, Paige reminds me a lot of you,” Wilson said to Plum. “Like, you say, ‘It's not really about me.' She knows. And she knows how her privilege has gotten her to that point. And also, she's good at basketball, obviously. She understands her privilege. It's like what pushes her over the top in a sense.

"It reminds me a lot of you. And I mean, that's a compliment.”

Whitlock took issue with the concept of "privilege."

"Paige Bueckers understands that you have to praise Black women and give praise to Black women in order to be accepted within the WNBA," Whitlock said. "That's what A'ja Wilson means by 'she understands her privilege.'

"And A'ja Wilson is in this delusional state where she has no idea, no understanding, no self-awareness about the privilege she has and is executing."

A'ja Wilson refuses to listen to 'noise' about Caitlin Clark

Nearly two weeks ago, A'ja Wilson had some telling comments about all the things said about Caitlin Clark. Wilson dismissed the comments made by Charles Barkley and LeBron James.

“It’s noise that I don’t really listen to, honestly, because I am in-season, I have other things that we need to worry about than what other people have to say," Wilson said. "I have a scout, I have 11 other minds on my team ... So, I really can’t give you the best answer on that because I really don’t pay any attention to it.”