Caitlin Clark finally addresses transgender-athlete controversy, carefully avoids taking a side

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Caitlin Clark finally faced a question about biological males who “identify” as girls or women competing in women’s sports.

She answered it without revealing much of anything.

Following the Indiana Fever’s 108-100 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Clark was asked about the controversy surrounding teammate Sophie Cunningham’s stance that biological males should not compete in women’s sports.

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Clark said it wasn’t something the Fever discussed in their locker room.

Caitlin Clark shoots a free throw during a game in Portland.

“I think it’s for leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions,” Clark said. “Our focus is on basketball. That’s what we talk about and how we can get wins and obviously we didn’t do that tonight. So, we need to find an area to improve in that way.”

When a reporter pressed Clark for a reaction, she responded, “I just answered.”

Well, not really.

Clark answered how the Fever were handling the controversy. She said it wasn’t discussed in the locker room, told leagues and governing bodies to figure it out and pivoted back to basketball.

Clark didn’t say whether she agrees with Cunningham that women’s sports should be reserved for females. She also didn’t side with Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve, who wore a “Trans kids belong” shirt during Sunday’s game.

It sounded like a carefully crafted answer meant to avoid upsetting either side.

That’s probably exactly why it won’t make anyone happy.

Clark avoided taking a side on protecting women’s sports

Sophie Cunningham started the latest controversy when she said young girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men” and argued that female athletes deserve protection in locker rooms and competition.

The comments followed Indiana throughout its three-game road trip.

Supporters and critics gathered outside games in Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis. Cunningham was loudly booed. Opposing players and coaches wore shirts supporting transgender inclusion.

Demonstrator protests outside Target Center before a WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis.

Clark, meanwhile, stayed quiet.

The Fever also kept her away from the postgame podium after the first two games of the trip.

Indiana did not make Clark available following its victory in Seattle. The team sent Kelsey Mitchell and Monique Billings to the podium with head coach Stephanie White.

Clark then recorded a triple-double in Friday’s win over Portland.

That’s generally the type of performance that earns a player a trip to the podium.

Clark still didn’t appear.

Instead, Indiana sent Aliyah Boston and Makayla Timpson alongside White.

When a reporter sent by OutKick attempted to ask Boston and Timpson about Cunningham’s comments and the controversy surrounding the team, a Fever public relations representative interrupted.

“We’re going to wrap up here,” the representative said.

The news conference ended before the reporter could finish the question.

FEVER SHUT DOWN SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM QUESTIONS, ABRUPTLY END PRESS CONFERENCE

Then came Sunday.

Clark appeared at the podium with Mitchell and White and delivered an answer that sounded like it had been run through every public relations person in the building, and perhaps a few on Clark’s personal PR team outside the building.

While we don’t know exactly how it transpired, it’s reasonable to make a few inferences based on the sequence of events.

The Fever kept Clark away from reporters after two games. The team shut down a question when someone tried to ask Boston and Timpson about the controversy. Two days later, Indiana put Clark on the podium and she delivered an extremely measured response.

It certainly creates the impression that the Fever knew Clark would eventually have to address the subject and wanted her prepared when she did.

If that was the plan, it mostly worked.

Clark plays it safe when asked about transgender athlete debate

Clark went on the record without giving either side a quote it could celebrate … or use against her.

Honestly, it’s hard to blame her.

Clark has more to lose by taking a firm position than almost anyone in sports.

She’s trying to win basketball games, sell sneakers and appear in commercials. She has major sponsors and a fan base that extends far beyond the WNBA’s traditional audience.

Taking a side on this issue would inevitably alienate part of that audience.

If Clark said biological males should not compete against women, transgender activists and many people inside the WNBA would attack her for failing to support inclusion. Given the hostility she has already faced from players in the league, it’s easy to see why she wouldn’t want to invite more of it.

If she endorsed allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports based on gender identity, she would anger fans, and the majority of Americans, who believe female athletic categories exist for the explicit purpose of excluding males.

But neutrality doesn’t make the controversy disappear.

Caitlin Clark #22 reacts during the second half against the Seattle Storm.

Transgender activists will argue that the biggest star in women’s sports should have used her platform to stand for inclusion.

Groups fighting to keep women’s sports female will argue that Clark should have defended the athletic category that made her famous.

Both sides wanted her to take a position.

More importantly, both sides wanted her to take their position.

Clark chose neither, and that’s her right.

Still, the “our focus is on basketball” line rings a little hollow inside the WNBA.

The league has spent years encouraging players and coaches to make social and political statements. Reeve made hers on the sideline Sunday. Other players made theirs with pregame shirts.

Cunningham made hers in an interview.

Clark is the one who decided not to play along.

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Her answer was polished, disciplined and almost certainly the safest response available.

It also left everyone wanting more.

Clark tried not to alienate either side.

Instead, she gave both sides a reason to be dissatisfied.

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