Caitlin Clark's brother Colin slams WNBA owner's criticism of TIME's Athlete of the Year decision

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Caitlin Clark's brother, Colin Clark, appeared to clap back at Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson's criticism of TIME magazine's decision to name the Indiana Fever star as the "Athlete of the Year."

Johnson’s remarks, which focused on race and the perceived favoritism toward Clark, sparked a wave of online discussion, including a subtle yet pointed response from Colin.

Sheila Johnson disagrees with TIME magazine crowning Caitlin Clark 'Athlete of the Year'

Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise has undeniably reshaped the WNBA.

As a rookie, she brought in unprecedented viewership, boosted ticket sales, and broke records for attendance, as per The Mirror.

The 22-year-old point guard, who was selected as the No 1 overall pick in the draft, also claimed the WNBA Rookie of the Year honor. She also became the first rookie to make the All-WNBA first team since 2008

However, Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), didn't agree with TIME magazine's decision to crown Caitlin the "Athlete of the Year."

During an interview with CNN Sport, she argued that celebrating Clark alone undermines the collective achievements of the league. 

Johnson proposed that the WNBA as a whole should have been recognized instead. 

"Why couldn’t they have put the WNBA on that cover and say, ‘The WNBA is the league of the year,’ because of all the talent that we have,” she suggested.

The billionaire businesswoman went on to warn about the potential implications of singling out one player, claiming it could spark "stories of racism within the WNBA." 

Colin Clark appears to defend Caitlin Clark's impact amid Sheila Johnson's criticism

Shelia Johnson also expressed disapproval of the term "the Caitlin Clark effect," which has been widely used to describe the boost in the league's popularity since the Indiana Fever star's arrival.

"I feel really bad, because I’ve seen so many players of color that are equally as talented, and they never got the recognition they should have," she stated.

Colin, however, appeared to reject Johnson's narrative surrouding his sister. 

He reposted an old post from Front Office Sports on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the record-breaking attendance for a game between the Fever and the Mystics in September.

The capiton read, "A record 20,711 fans were in attendance for Fever-Mystics tonight – the largest crowd in WNBA history."

While Colin didn’t explicitly address Johnson’s comments, the repost seemed to subtly emphasize Caitlin's tangible impact on the league's growth. 

Talking about her impact on the sport, Caitlin told TIME, "I've been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women's sports, let alone women's basketball, and turn them into fans." 

She also addressed the "racial underpinnings" of her fame, saying, "I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege."

"A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important," Caitlin aknowledged. 

The 22-year-old further expressed, "I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing."