Former WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike insisted that Caitlin Clark should take a stance and be more active in advocacy as her stardom continues bringing more eyes to the league.

Ogwumike’s remarks on First Take came in light of Clark expressing her disappointment in her name being weaponized for racism, misogyny, and other discriminatory remarks.

While Ogwumike acknowledged how Clark handled the question, she also insisted that the rookie should say more and use her platform to revert the attention to the court and growth of the WNBA.

‘With all of the growth that Caitlin has brought, it has brought a lot of growing pains,’ Ogwumike said. ‘It is necessary to say something because now you have the opportunity to educate people who are coming with you.’

‘So that hopefully, the focus can be on the game and not on these preconceived notions that being in one the most polarized moments in our country has brought to the forefront.’

Chiney Ogwumike insisted that Caitlin Clark should take a stand as the face of the WNBA

“I think that with all of the growth that Caitlin [Clark] has brought, it has brought a lot of growing pains. … Now you have the opportunity to educate people who are coming with you … so that hopefully the focus can be on the game.”

—@chiney on the WNBA’s growth this year pic.twitter.com/Hn9tASwaoe

— First Take (@FirstTake) June 14, 2024

Ogwumike also emphasized how the WNBA is built strongly on the advocacy of its players – noting the work of former player Maya Moore on and off the court.

Without downplaying the differences, Ogwumike paralleled Clark to NBA superstar LeBron James and how he uses his platform to fight for social justice.

‘She is the face of a league that has built its backbone consistently but – over the last few years – has been known for advocacy.’

‘The conversations are not necessarily focused on basketball, but it is good for the sport. We have the opportunity to set the record straight, and I think Caitlin did just that,’ Ogwumike continued.

The rookie initially took a neutral stance when asked about her name being weaponized

DiJonnai Carrington (R) subtweeted Clark (L) for her response to a question about her name being used in an ongoing ‘culture war’ surrounding the WNBA in recent weeks

I asked #IndianaFever’s Caitlin Clark directly about her name being weaponized for racism/misogyny (as Dijonai Carrington alluded to):

“It’s disappointing. … Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.” pic.twitter.com/gyAWBqGG8c — James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2024

‘But it had me thinking, we talk about LeBron James a lot. And I feel like we’re getting to the same point with Caitlin Clark.’

‘He had to stand for something, and he had to represent the league. The difference is, obviously, he’s a black man, and this is a young white woman. But still, she’s not just representing herself as an individual and as a basketball player.’

Furthermore, Ogwumike noted how quickly Clark became the face of the WNBA. While her first season has not been the most pristine, Clark’s success in college led to a massive following that followed her into the pros.

Clark took a stronger stance when pressed directly about the issue on Thursday night

Clark is averaging 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and six assists as the Fever are 4-10 a quarter into their campaign.

‘If you asked me two years ago, or even months ago, who was the face of the WNBA? I would tell you it’s A’ja Wilson,’ she said. ‘She’s currently a back-to-back champion. She’s playing like an MVP. She is the most dominant player in the WNBA right now.’

‘But we are experiencing a shift. Where, for better or worse, [Wilson] is not necessarily the face of the league. The face of the league is now Caitlin Clark.’