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Caitlin Clark speaks out against racist, misogynistic comments

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Indiana Fever star rookie Caitlin Clark pushed back against online commenters who have used her name in discussions to denigrate other WNBA players, saying any racist or misogynistic comments are “not acceptable.”

“People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,” Clark said Thursday when asked about the comments. “… Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think, it’s just a basic human thing that everybody should do.”

Due to Clark’s fame, along with being a white basketball player, her name has been brought up in culture wars and online debates, including why she was left off the Team USA Olympic basketball roster and reacting to a number of hard fouls committed against the rookie early in her WNBA career.

Clark had said earlier Thursday that bringing her up online was “not something I can control.”

“I don’t put too much thought and time into thinking about things like that, and to be honest, I don’t see a lot of it,” Clark said. “Basketball is my job. Everything on the outside, I can’t control that, so I’m not going to spend time thinking about that.”

That quote, and previous comments from Clark about staying off social media, drew a rebuke from Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, who posted to social media that Clark should do more to speak out about people using her name for inappropriate means.

“Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts,” Carrington wrote. “We all see the [s—]. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury.”

Carrington and Clark had a notable interaction during the Sun’s win over the Fever on Monday, when Carrington appeared to exaggeratedly mock Clark’s reaction to being fouled. Carrington dismissed at least one social media post from a user who said she would have been ejected for her actions if she were white.

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.

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KATE MARTIN WITH THE LAS VEGAS ACES IS A JOY FOR ALL OF US

Kate Martin with The Las Vegas Aces is a Joy for All of Us

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Teenager Has Unforgettable Interaction With Aces’ Kate Martin At Recent Game

A teenage WNBA fan had an unforgettable experience at Friday night’s Las Vegas Aces game thanks to one particular rookie.

Brooklyn, 15, loves women’s basketball and has been an Aces fan since day one. She was excited when the franchise drafted Kate Martin and got a unique chance to interact with her at Friday night’s game.

Teenager Has Memorable Moment At Friday’s Aces Game

YouTube | Las Vegas AcesMercedes Martinez, Brooklyn’s mom, shared her daughter’s interaction with Martin in two TikTok videos. Part one showed that Brooklyn made a sign that reads, “Rock, Paper, Scissors for your Shoes?” and the video quickly went viral.

Martinez talked to The Blast exclusively to share the exciting experience.

“We are Aces fans and have been since day one! We’ve been to about four or five games but always watch on TV when we can. I’ve been lucky enough to meet most of the players through my job,” she told The Blast.

“My daughter Brooklyn, not only loves the WNBA, but she loves women’s college basketball, too. When the Aces drafted Kate Martin, she was excited.”

Martinez’s friends are season ticket holders and sold her their tickets for Friday night so she could take both her daughters. Brooklyn asked if she could get a Martin jersey at the arena, and Martinez agreed.

“As we headed to our seats, we saw a sign-making station. She asked if she could make one to welcome Kate Martin to the team,” she continued. “I said she should ask her to play rock, paper, scissors to get her attention. Then she made that sign about her shoes.”

Kate Martin Played Rock, Paper, Scissors With Brooklyn!

The seats that Martinez and her daughters had were so close to the players on the court that nearly every Aces player high-fived Brooklyn on and off the court.

“During warmups, she yelled, ‘Kate’ and showed her the sign. We couldn’t believe when she played,”  she told The Blast. “We laughed so hard after she won, not even caring if she got shoes. Kate Martin played rock, paper, scissors with her! That’s a win for her!”

But the excitement didn’t end there. After the game, Martin walked directly over to Brooklyn, so she pulled out the jersey she just bought and the two had an interaction that can be seen in the second video on TikTok.

“We will never forget what she did and I will forever be grateful to her for the joy she brought to all of us,” Martinez shared. “Go Aces!”

TikTok Viewers Were Happy To See Such A Heartwarming Moment!

Martinez’s first video received more than 1 million views in less than a day. The second video, shared hours after the first one, has received more than 470,000 views so far.

Many viewers dropped into the comment section to share their excitement for Brooklyn’s moment with Martin.

“At least she remembered, signed the jersey, and took a photo. Shoot that’s a WIN!” one viewer wrote. Another added, “I will say, she always wears those shoes so they are probably her fave. I’m happy she signed your daughter’s stuff. She’s a class act.”

Another viewer pointed out, “‘It’s the only pair I got,’ I love her, she’s so wholesome.”

Kate Martin Made ESPN’s Top WNBA Rookie Ranking

YouTube | Las Vegas AcesAt the end of the first month of the WNBA season, ESPN released its ranking of the top 9 rookies, and Martin made the list!

Cameron Brink, Los Angeles SparksAngel Reese, Chicago SkyKate Martin, Las Vegas AcesRickea Jackson, Los Angeles SparksJulie Vanloo, Washington MysticsCaitlin Clark, Indiana FeverAaliyah Edwards, Washington MysticsSevgi Uzun, Dallas WingsLeonie Fiebich, New York Liberty

According to Sports Illustrated, ESPN WNBA writer Neil Paine explained that various statistics and metrics were used to create the list. The primary three metrics used were: Win Shares, Estimated Wins Added, and Player Efficiency Rating.

“Each estimate of wins created is then averaged into a single metric, called Consensus Wins, which can be used to rank qualified rookies on a per-minute basis. (We’re ranking this way to keep things fair because some teams have played nearly twice as many games as others),” Paine said.

“As an added wrinkle, we’ll be grading each rookie on a percentile scale (0 to 100) relative to all WNBA players this season in their scoring (based on points per 100 possessions), true shooting percentage, passing (based on assist rate), rebounding rate and defensive impact (based on both SPR and defensive rating). That way, we can see why players rank where they do — and what they might do to improve over the rest of their debut season.”

Kate Martin’s Story Is A Cinderella Story

Martin’s story is a real-life Cinderella story.

She went to the WNBA Draft to support her former teammate and friend, Caitlin Clark. Martin was seated in the audience, and was approached by a woman who worked the event who told her, “You need to move seats right now.”

And then a magical moment happened. Martin was selected with the No. 18 overall pick by the Aces.

The Aces rookie seems to be fitting into her new team flawlessly, based on social media posts. Martin recently celebrated her birthday and her teammates went all out! They even pranked her by making her think the bus left without her and had her running behind it.

Social media followers have taken note of how easy Martin’s transition to the start of her WNBA career has been.

“New to the WNBA. Not gonna lie. But I’m so impressed with how the Aces have embraced Kate! Iowa has loved Kate for years but now we love the Aces too!” one Instagram user wrote.

Another added, “She fits perfectly on this team!”

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EVERY ANGLE OF KATE MARTIN ‘S FIRST WNBA POINTS WITH THE LAS VEGAS ACES

Every Angle of Kate Martin ‘s First WNBA Points With The Las Vegas Aces

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Kate Martin Makes First WNBA Start for Las Aces Vegas, Scores Career-High

Kate Martin made her first career start with the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, scoring a career-high 13 points. She’s made a lot of progress in a short time, going from a second-round pick to a WNBA starter.

It didn’t take long for Kate Martin to find a spot in the starting rotation. On Sunday, the Las Vegas Aces rookie made her first career start in the WNBA, as the team faced the Los Angeles Sparks.

Martin made the most of her opportunity, too. The former Iowa star scored a career-high 13 points, making five-of-seven shots from the floor. She was also converted on all three of her shots from behind the 3-point line.

Along with her 13-point night, Martin also grabbed four rebounds and had three assists. Unfortunately for the Aces, it wasn’t enough to get the win. Los Angeles defeated Las Vegas 96-92.

 

Even though the Aces fell short, it was still an impressive showing from Martin, who has been one of the WNBA’s pleasant surprises this year. She was a second-round pick in this year’s draft, but quickly earned the respect of her teammates for her basketball IQ and attitude towards the game.

Martin has appeared in eight of Las Vegas’ nine games this season. She’s averaging 5.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists while logging just over 21 minutes per contest. The rookie is also shooting 36.1% from the floor and 39.1% from 3-point range.

In ESPN’s rookie rankings, Martin ranked third, behind Sparks’ Cameron Brink and Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese. She’s not just making an impact with her teammates, everyone watching the WNBA is taking notice of the former Hawkeyes’ production.

Martin and the Aces will be back in action on Tuesday night, hosting the Minnesota Lynx. That game airs on NBA TV at 10 p.m. ET.