Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark answers questions at a media conference in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 4, 2025 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Matthew Holst / Getty Images)
By Isabelle Russell August 8, 2026 at 3:30am
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark has always stayed neutral when questioned about politics.
This time she’s getting backlash from many for, in their view, refusing to protect women’s sports.
During a recent press conference on Sunday, Clark was asked about the inclusion of men in women’s sports.
Clark’s answer — or in this case non-answer — was, “I think it’s for leagues and the governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions.”
Caitlin Clark dodges question on protecting women’s sports.
“It’s for the leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions.” pic.twitter.com/LZSx91D4XX
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) August 2, 2026
Conservatives were split in their response to Clark’s non-answer.
Many called her a coward for not standing up against men participating in women’s sports.
Caitlin Clark might be the biggest coward in the history of sports. She refuses to say anything about the anti-white racism she has been subjected to since coming into the league. She punts on the trans question, which is the easiest question you could ever be asked. No spine. https://t.co/64p1pbjbML
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 3, 2026
I will always defend Caitlin Clark every chance I get. But I’m truly sick and tired of watching her stay silent on men in women’s sports and not stand by Sophie, who’s had her back since day one. At some point you have to take a stance and speak out, girl. pic.twitter.com/UxeD8Coa7E
— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) August 2, 2026
The lesson from Caitlin Clark is that trying to appease the left is useless
She’s trying to remain neutral with trans athletes, but progressives will hate her regardless because:
1) Neutrality is still seen as a betrayal
2) Clark is white & successful in a heavily black field https://t.co/hzDARcEPPp— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) August 3, 2026
Other conservatives, however, appreciated that she was following the “shut up and dribble” advice right-wingers have been preaching to left-wing athletes for years.
Conservatives keep trying to force Caitlin Clark to become a mascot in the culture wars because she’s a white girl from the midwest. She’s not interested.
We argue that athletes should stay silent on politics and just focus on their craft, but when the issue is something you… https://t.co/kKlbNOIlU2
— Corey Walker 🇺🇸 (@CoreyWriting) August 3, 2026
🔥WILL CAIN & KAYCE SMITH DEFEND CAITLIN CLARK: “SHE DOESN’T OWE ANYONE A POLITICAL OPINION.”@willcain and Barstool’s @KayceSmith pushed back on critics demanding Caitlin Clark weigh in on political and cultural debates. pic.twitter.com/ibUXCKc2Wt
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) August 3, 2026
I’m not angry that Caitlin Clark refused to get drawn into the trans debate.
Homegirl is hated enough for just being a phenom. Not everyone owes us a turn on the chopping block.
I would be a lot more upset if she said men should be allowed to play in women’s sports, but she…
— Kaeley Triller (@KaeleyT) August 3, 2026
Clark’s comments come just after her teammate Sophie Cunningham made her own stance on transgender athletes very clear.
In an ESPN profile piece published on July 21, Cunningham said, “I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
When later pressed on her comments, Cunningham replied with a simple, “I said what I said. I think it’s common sense.”
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Isabelle is a high school student with a passion in politics and law. She is a summer intern at The Western Journal. She loves Jesus, her family, her church community, and history.
