Former ESPNer Jemele Hill downplayed Caitlin Clark’s effect on the growth in popularity of women’s basketball, while also railing against the media for not affording the same coverage to black players.
While acknowledging that Clark is “stoking overall curiosity,” Hill told uproxx.com that the star Iowa guard is riding the waves of an overall increase in attention.
“Everything about this sport has been trending up for years now. It did not just start with Caitlin Clark, but they’re treating it like it did,” Hill, who now writes for The Atlantic, told the outlet. “And so it’s already creating a false narrative that is doing the public a disservice.
All eyes are on Caitlin Clark at the Final Four.Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
“If you look at WNBA ratings or women’s college basketball ratings, they have been exploding for at least the last seven to (10) years — or I would even say five to seven if you want a shorter window. And so, it’s been proven that people really enjoy the sport. They enjoy the stars in the sport, but they enjoy the sport itself. And I’m not completely convinced that the media understands the difference.”
Hill then said the media does a “terrible job” covering women’s sports, and when it does, it will “overload in one direction,” referring to covering white players such as Clark or UConn star Paige Bueckers, compared to how former South Carolina star and current Aces forward, A’ja Wilson, is handled.
“(Wilson)’s probably the best player in the world right now,” Hill said. “And I’m not trying to act like she gets no coverage, but the coverage that sometimes non-white women get, or specifically Black women get, is not even close. It’s two-to-one.
“I mean, Aliyah Boston was the best player in college just a couple of years ago. And she did not get even a tenth of this media coverage that Caitlin Clark did. Now, some people would say, ‘Oh, it’s her game.’ But I don’t think it was that. She’s tremendous on television, and I’m thinking, What a missed opportunity for the national media to really elevate who she was as a person.
“Caitlin Clark seems to be a great personality, but it is not like Caitlin Clark is walking around saying crazy stuff. They’re just covering her excellence, and that’s good enough. Whereas it feels like for Black athletes to get the same amount of coverage or even fair coverage, there has to be something extra [beyond basketball].”
Jemele Hill attends the BET+ “Diarra From Detroit” Los Angeles Premiere at Citizen News Hollywood on March 20, 2024 in Los Angeles.Getty Images for BET+
Hill did compliment Clark, saying she believes her play will translate to the WNBA and could help the growth of the league.
Clark’s last game, an Elite Eight triumph Monday night over reigning champion LSU, set a women’s basketball viewership record, drawing in 12.3 million viewers, and received the most bets ever for a women’s sporting event.
Iowa and Clark face Bueckers and UConn on Friday in the Final Four, with the winner facing the victor of undefeated South Carolina vs. NC State in Sunday’s national championship.
Caitlin Clark signs a shoe following the Elite Eight.Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
“To me, Caitlin Clark was always Steph Curry. It was always him,” Hill said. “And even if you consider LeBron (James) to be the greatest player of this generation, which would be accurate, the biggest effect on basketball at every level was Steph Curry. I feel like Caitlin Clark’s going to continue that because even the reason she plays, the way she plays, is because of Steph Curry.
“I can only imagine the number of little girls and young female athletes who are trying to copy everything she’s doing, and I think that’s a great thing for the sport.’”
