Former ESPN host Elle Duncan has stated that Caitlin Clark and her supporters are responsible for the ongoing controversy surrounding the WNBA player, suggesting Clark should explicitly tell her fans to stop using her name for their own agendas. Duncan made these remarks on "The Sports Gossip Show" podcast, arguing that Clark needs to denounce the fans fueling what Duncan described as a "media smear campaign."
Duncan's comments drew criticism for downplaying the media's role in shaping narratives around Clark and for suggesting that Clark has not already addressed the misuse of her name. The article points out that Clark has previously stated, "People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It's disappointing. It's not acceptable." Clark has also emphasized the importance of treating "every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect."
Duncan's perspective was highlighted in contrast to a recent USA Today op-ed that controversially compared the scrutiny on Clark to the historical lynching of Emmett Till. The author of the OutKick piece, Bobby Burack, argues that Duncan's proposed solution for Clark to denounce her fans while facing aggressive play on the court and critical commentary is illogical.
New York Post columnist Kirsten Fleming echoed this sentiment, suggesting that demands for Clark to respond to every "nonsense" issue give women a bad name and distract from her performance. Fleming advocated for Clark to be allowed to "hoop."
The commentary also implies that Duncan views sports fandom through the lens of culture and identity politics, which the author argues is not how the average fan experiences sports. According to the OutKick article, most fans are drawn to compelling athletes like Clark, similar to how they were drawn to figures like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or Serena Williams.
OutKick reported that Duncan did not respond to a request for comment regarding her views on the media's role in the controversy surrounding Clark. The piece concludes by suggesting that figures like Duncan, whom it characterizes as holding "resentment of Clark's success," struggle to reconcile Clark's popularity with their own perspectives, attributing her rise to factors other than racism and privilege.