00:00Fever coach Stephanie White says Kaitlyn Clark is being used as a pawn in other people's games.
00:07Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has spoken out against the way Kaitlyn Clark has been drawn into off-court controversies,
00:13calling the 23-year-old guard a pawn in narratives that have little to do with her.
00:18The discussion began when Minnesota Lynx star Nafisa Collier claimed WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert made dismissive comments about Clark's off-court earnings.
00:27According to Collier, Engelbert suggested that Clark should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court
00:34because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything.
00:39Engelbert later denied making those remarks, calling the reports inaccurate and emphasizing her respect for Clark's impact on the league.
00:46Kaitlyn has been a transformational player, Engelbert said, adding that she's proud of the way Clark has drawn tens of millions of new fans to women's basketball.
00:53Appearing on Quarry & Company on 107.5, The Fan, White expressed frustration that Clark has become a lightning rod for debates far beyond her control.
01:04I hate it all for Kaitlyn, White said.
01:07She's a 23-year-old kid who loves to play this game, who is a pawn in a lot of other people's games and narratives.
01:14And I hate that for her.
01:16White praised Clark's maturity, saying her ability to handle fame, scrutiny, and pressure is extraordinary.
01:21She is so mature for her age.
01:24Think back to when we were 23.
01:25Holy cow, White laughed.
01:27She has people in her corner who can help her, and she gets it.
01:31She understands the big picture.
01:33White compared Clark's situation to that of global sports icons.
01:37No one outside of a Tiger Woods or a Serena Williams, maybe a handful more, can really relate to what she's going through, she said.
01:43The Fever coach added that her role and that of the team is to help Clark navigate the spotlight with perspective and support.
01:51We can offer perspective and do what we can to help deflect and navigate, but at the same time, it's a life she has to lead.
01:58And I think she does it admirably, White said.
02:01I'm not sure that at 23, or even at 48, I could do it the way she does, with so much grace and humility.
02:07Clark's rookie season was marked by record-breaking viewership, intense public attention, and the weight of expectations as one of the most transformative figures in women's basketball.
02:17A position that, as White reminds everyone, comes with both opportunity and unfair burdens.
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