Caitlin Clark has responded forcefully against the use of her name to propagate racism and misogyny. Initially, the WNBA rookie seemed to dismiss the issue when asked on Thursday. However, Connecticut Sun star DiJonai Carrington criticized Clark’s seemingly indifferent stance, questioning on social media how players, including the former Iowa star, could be unbothered by such hate.

Later that evening, ahead of the Indiana Fever’s game against the Atlanta Dream, Clark addressed the issue more assertively. “It’s disappointing,” she admitted. “Everyone in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.”

Caitlin Clark has hit back at her name being weaponized to spread racism and misogyny 

“People should not be using my name for those agendas. It’s disappointing and not acceptable,” Clark stated. “This league is the one I grew up admiring and wanting to be a part of. Some of the women in this league were my biggest idols and role models growing up. They inspired me to reach this moment, allowing me to play every single night.”

When previously asked by reporters about her name being used in public discourse, Clark had taken a neutral stance, saying she was focused on playing her sport.

“It’s not something I can control, so I don’t put too much thought and time into things like that,” she said. “Basketball is my job. Everything on the outside, I can’t control that, so I’m not going to spend time thinking about it. People can talk about what they want to talk about… I’m just there to play basketball.”

However, her response was perceived as dismissive by DiJonai Carrington, who took to social media to insist that players should actively call out the issues they see.

DiJonnai Carrington (R) subtweeted Clark (L) for her response to a question about her name being used in an ongoing ‘culture war’ surrounding the WNBA in recent weeks

“Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, and the intersectionalities of them all is nuts,” Carrington tweeted. “We all see the sh*t. We all have a platform. We all have a voice, and they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury.”

Clark has also raised concerns about players escaping punishment for being overly physical against her in the league. This became a major topic of debate after Chennedy Carter bodychecked her in a recent game against the Chicago Sky.

Additionally, the 22-year-old Clark was controversially overlooked for the USA women’s basketball team for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

Clark had taken a neutral stance, insisting she was just playing her sport when asked earlier  

Clark took a stronger stance when pressed directly about the issue before the Dream game 

The discourse has reached toxic levels, with controversial figures like Clay Travis and Jason Whitlock claiming Clark is being targeted for being a white, straight player. Meanwhile, Andscape writer David Dennis Jr. commented on “Around the Horn” that “people on the fringe that do exist in real life—not just Internet trolls; politicians, pundits, and people of the like—are using Caitlin Clark as an avatar to lash out at the people they disdain: mainly the makeup of the WNBA, Black women, et al.”

During the Sun’s game against the Indiana Fever earlier this week, Carrington appeared to mock Clark by mimicking a flop when she was called for a foul on the rookie. Carrington is one of the best players on the Sun, who currently have the best record in the WNBA at 11-1.