Caitlin Clark has been dragged into yet another debate about race after Cooper Flagg was selected first overall in the NBA draft.
The 18-year-old, considered one of the most exciting prospects of recent times, was taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the No 1 pick this week.
Flagg has been tipped to become a basketball superstar, much like Caitlin Clark, who has lifted the WNBA to new heights since joining the Indiana Fever.
But Clark has also become a lightning rod for discussions around race since joining the league, with some accusing her rivals of bullying and jealousy, while others have suggested she benefits from ‘white privilege’.
Now the WNBA star finds herself at the center of another storm after ESPN analyst Peter Rosenberg compared her and Flagg.
Rosenberg was accused of ‘race-baiting’ during his appearance on First Take, when he discussed Flagg’s potential impact in the NBA.
Caitlin Clark has been dragged into another race debate after Cooper Flagg joined the NBA
‘We’re all adults, we can have a real-life conversation,’ he said. ‘Last time I checked, we still live in America. Cooper Flagg is a white guy, maybe the best white American prospect since Larry Bird.
‘Let’s not act as if we don’t live in America and we’re not seeing what’s happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA.
‘Cooper Flagg is going to be an instant impact player in the NBA. He is ready to go. That kid could play right now.
‘If he’s nearly as good as people expect then I think when it comes to “intrigue” – that people are talking about day to day – no one is going to be more intriguing and get more eyeballs than Cooper Flagg in Dallas.’
But Rosenberg came under fire from some basketball fans for bringing up race.
‘Caitlin Clark isn’t getting attention because she’s white, she’s getting attention because she’s a generational talent,’ one said on social media.
‘Cooper Flagg is intriguing because he’s the best college basketball player we’ve seen in a long time Why does ESPN always have to make it about race?’
Another fan echoed those thoughts, claiming it was ‘sad’ and ‘pitiful’ that race had been brought into the conversation. ‘This is very cringe, ESPN should be ashamed of themselves,’ a third said.
But others defended Rosenberg. ‘He’s right,’ said one fan, while another agreed that Clark is being treated differently because she is white.
‘If she was any other race but just as talented, her current fans would not support her,’ they said.
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