WNBA champion Natasha Cloud took aim at the sport’s new fans who were critical of fouls committed against Caitlin Clark last season. 

During an interview on the “Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark, Cloud weighed in on the debate that rocked the WNBA last year when several illegal hits against Clark prompted outrage from many of her fans.

Cloud, who said she lost a tooth from a hit earlier in her career, insisted the outrage on behalf of Clark was rooted in “racism.”

The debate quickly spread beyond sports circles. Cultural commentators and journalists weighed in, linking Cloud’s statement to larger conversations about race and media bias in America. “Natasha Cloud isn’t creating division,” wrote columnist Jemele Hill.

“She’s exposing it. The reaction proves her point — people get angrier at being called racist than at racism itself.” Others pushed back, arguing that the issue was being oversimplified.

“It’s not about race — it’s about popularity,” tweeted one sportswriter. “Clark is getting the spotlight because she’s a phenomenon. If a player of any race drew the same numbers, they’d get the same coverage.”

Still, Cloud’s courage in speaking out has earned her widespread respect among those who believe athletes have a duty to challenge inequity.

Known for her advocacy work during the 2020 racial justice protests and her outspoken defense of LGBTQ+ rights, she has never shied away from difficult conversations.

“If I lose fans over this, so be it,” she said during a post-practice media session. “I’m not here to make people comfortable. I’m here to make them think.”

Natasha Cloud of the Phoenix Mercury during a game against the Indiana Fever June 30, 2024, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz.  (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

“It’s just a part of the game. There was no targeting, there was no nothing. That narrative that got spun into, ‘Oh, the vets hate the rookies. The rookies hate the vets. The vets are going after certain players,’ it’s all bulls—. If I’m just going to be frank, it’s all bulls—. What it is is racism,” Cloud said.

Even within the WNBA, reactions were mixed. Several players quietly liked or reposted Cloud’s comments, signaling solidarity without directly engaging the controversy. Others chose a more diplomatic route.

Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson, who has previously spoken about race and respect in women’s basketball, weighed in subtly during a press conference: “I think what Natasha’s saying isn’t about any one player — it’s about how narratives are built.

There’s truth in that.” Meanwhile, ESPN analysts debated the issue on-air, with some arguing that Cloud’s statement highlighted the uncomfortable racial dynamics shaping media coverage of the league.

Caitlin Clark herself has remained silent on the controversy, declining to comment publicly when asked about Cloud’s remarks. The rookie has faced immense scrutiny since entering the league — both from fans who see her as a transformative figure for the sport and critics who say the media’s obsession with her comes at the expense of other players. The tension has followed Clark throughout her debut season, with every foul, confrontation, or glare analyzed under a microscope.

Natasha Cloud’s comments struck a nerve not just because of their content, but because they touched on a growing undercurrent in the WNBA: the intersection of race, marketability, and media attention.

While Clark’s arrival has undeniably brought unprecedented viewership and sponsorship deals to the league, many veteran players have expressed frustration that the same energy wasn’t given to them despite years of elite play.

“We built this league,” Cloud said in a follow-up interview. “We fought for visibility, equity, and respect. But when someone who doesn’t look like us shows up, suddenly it’s the ‘Caitlin Clark Era’? Nah. That’s not hate — that’s truth.”

Clark took an infamous illegal hip check from Chicago Sky forward Chennedy Carter June 1. Fellow Sky player and Clark’s archrival, Angel Reese, struck Clark in the head with her arm while trying to block a pass during a game June 16. On Aug. 31, another Sky player, Diamond DeShields, sent Clark flying across the floor for a foul that was later upgraded to flagrant.

In Clark’s first playoff game against the Connecticut Sun Sept. 22, Sun player DiJonai Carrington gave Clark a black eye by poking her with her fingernails.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts to a foul in the first quarter during Game 1 of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Sept. 22, 2024. (Mark Smith/Imagn Images)

“It gets blown up into, ‘Oh, they’re going after Caitlin Clark.’ But, no, we’re just playing one of the best players that’s in this league the way that any other best player or franchise player has been played,” Cloud said.

Earlier in the interview, Cloud addressed the increase in fans of the WNBA and suggested their interest was not rooted in fandom.

“The craziness that came with the new fandom was rooted in something other than fandom, and I think that was very evident across the board,” Cloud said. “In a lot of ways, it has not been about basketball.”

Cloud is not the first WNBA player or former player to suggest some of Clark’s followers are racist.

Caitlin Clark (22) of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese (5) of the Chicago Sky during a game June 1, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.  (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)

Reese said in the first episode of her podcast “there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it” regarding the motivation of Clark’s fans. WNBA legend Sue Bird lashed out at this group in her podcast in November, claiming some of them aren’t even fans of Clark but are just “acting” as fans while “pushing racist agendas and pushing hate.”

The WNBA discourse just erupted again — and this time, Washington Mystics star and WNBA champion Natasha Cloud is at the center of the storm.

In a fiery social media post that immediately went viral, Cloud addressed the wave of backlash surrounding fouls committed against rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, claiming that much of the outrage from fans and media is rooted in racial bias.

Her unfiltered comments have reignited long-simmering tensions in the women’s basketball community and sparked one of the most heated debates of the season.

Cloud, known for her fearless activism and outspoken nature both on and off the court, didn’t mince words. “The outrage over Caitlin Clark getting fouled isn’t about fairness — it’s about racism,” she wrote in a now widely shared X (formerly Twitter) thread.

“Black women have been getting hit harder, fouled harder, disrespected worse for YEARS, and nobody cared. But now that it’s happening to her, suddenly it’s a national crisis?” The post immediately set the internet ablaze, with fans, analysts, and even former players weighing in.

However, not all prominent women’s basketball players are as dismissive of the controversial fans Clark has brought to the sport.

USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins, who has a chance to break Clark’s NCAA scoring record, previously told Fox News Digital she welcomes all the fans Clark has brought to the sport and hopes they might even root for Watkins.

USC women’s basketball player Juju Watkins before a recent game at Cal St. Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., Dec. 21, 2023. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“So many new fans being in the sport sometimes can be, not necessarily challenging, but can just kind of give you a headache a bit. Not a lot of people know what they’re talking about sometimes. But it’s great for the sport. The fact that people are watching is enough in itself,” Watkins said.

“We would like it to be positive, but it’s not always going to be like that. So, as long as we continue to raise the numbers and viewership goes up, I think that’s all we can ask for.”

When asked if she wants the sport’s controversial new fans to cheer for her, too, Watkins answered, “Oh yeah. I love supporters, and I also love haters.

“I think that’s just a part of the game. There’s so many sides to it. So, it’s the nature of the game, and there’s always going to be negative and positive aspects of it.”

The comments came in the wake of another viral clip showing Clark taking a hard foul during a recent game. The incident drew widespread condemnation from sports media outlets and fans, with many calling the foul “dirty” and “unnecessary.” But according to Cloud, the reaction exposed a double standard — one that protects certain players while vilifying others. “When black players show emotion, they’re labeled aggressive,” Cloud continued. “When we play physical, we’re called thugs. But when white players get touched, it’s ‘how dare they!’ It’s the same game — just different rules for different bodies.”

Her words immediately polarized the sports world. Some fans applauded Cloud for saying what many Black athletes have long felt but rarely stated so bluntly. “She’s 100% right,” one commenter wrote on Instagram. “People didn’t care when A’ja [Wilson] or Arike [Ogunbowale] were getting hacked every night. But one hard screen on Caitlin Clark and it’s front-page news.” Others accused Cloud of inflaming tensions and turning legitimate fan concern into a racial argument. “This isn’t about race,” another user wrote. “It’s about player safety. Period.”

Her words resonated with a number of players who have long spoken about how racial bias shapes perception in women’s sports. Skylar Diggins-Smith, for example, has previously discussed how players of color are often labeled as “divas” or “difficult” for the same competitive intensity that white athletes are praised for. Former WNBA MVP Candace Parker once described it as “the difference between being passionate and being problematic.” Cloud’s comments seemed to reignite those discussions, bringing decades of frustration to the surface.

The WNBA, for its part, has not issued an official statement on Cloud’s comments, but league sources say they are “aware of the discussion” and view it as part of a broader public dialogue around representation in sports. Some insiders, however, worry the controversy could further polarize the fan base at a time when the league is experiencing historic growth in viewership and sponsorships. “The WNBA has never been more visible — but that visibility comes with friction,” one executive told USA Today. “What we’re seeing is a clash between long-time players fighting for recognition and new fans discovering the game for the first time.”

As the debate rages on, Natasha Cloud has stood firm, continuing to post and retweet messages of support from fellow athletes and fans who share her perspective. Her posts have sparked thousands of replies — some angry, many grateful. “This conversation was overdue,” one fan wrote. “Thank you for saying what needed to be said.”

Whether people agree or not, there’s no denying Cloud’s comments have forced the sports world to confront a difficult truth: the WNBA’s rise is not just a story of athletic excellence, but of how narratives are shaped by culture, race, and media framing. And while Caitlin Clark continues to shine on the court, the league she’s helping bring into the spotlight is now reckoning with questions much bigger than basketball.

Natasha Cloud may have dropped a bombshell, but in doing so, she also lit a fuse — one that’s forcing fans, players, and media alike to decide what kind of league, and what kind of conversation, they want women’s basketball to have moving forward.