ESPN Analyst's Caitlin Clark 'White Girl' Popularity Sentiment Raises Eyebrows

ESPN analyst Monica McNutt has caused a lot discussion about her recent Caitlin Clark comments.

Nov 30, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark attends the game between the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

There's no question that Caitlin Clark is the most popular women's basketball player in the world right now, despite having only played one season professionally.

The general sentiment would be that Clark's popularity is owed to her generational talent on the court combined with her humble, fan-friendly, and relatable personality. However, ESPN analyst Monica McNutt made a polarizing claim about another reason for Clark's success during a March 27 interview with BBC special correspondent Katty Kay

"Covering the WNBA this past season, Caitlin Clark's rookie year, for all of the conversation that surrounded her — some of which was fair and some of which wasn't — the one thing that I cannot deny is the amount of little girls that were showing up to follow her... Same thing for Angel Reese, when I had a chance to cover their games.

"But I think Caitlin represented — and again, some of this to me probably is not fair to her, because it was not anything that she said or was truly based on her personality — but she was a White girl from the middle of America," McNutt continued. "And so she represented a whole lot to a lot of people, whether that is truly what she prescribed to or not."

McNutt then added, "We can all say [Clark] is a dynamic basketball player and a force both on the court and the marketing sense. But I do think, same thing with folks that may have fallen in love with Angel Reese, she may or may not have agreed with everything they had to say, either.

"We attach our fandom to these icons for all types of reasons, and sometimes they may not be based in all truth," she concluded.

???? little girls like he because she’s white??? are we being fr rn..... pic.twitter.com/ztQVPM8tj0

— cc akgae (@clrkszn) March 29, 2025

While McNutt (who has a track record of going viral for Caitlin Clark-related takes) is entitled to her own opinion, many fans aren't appreciating her citing race as a reason for the Fever star's popularity.