Clark was selected as Time‘s Athlete Of The Year. During an interview, she reflected on her time in the league and gave other players — notably Black players — their flowers. Clark also noted that although she has worked hard for her achievements, she has benefited from a position of privilege as a white person.

“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said. “A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them.”

She called for brands and companies to partner with more Black WNBA players.

“The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important,” Clark said. “I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”

Basketball players and fans alike have spoken out about the contrast between Clark, a white player who has gotten extensive media coverage and praise, and other Black players in the league.

“America was founded on segregation and to this day is very much about Black and White,” Temi Fagbenle, who has loved playing with Clark in the past, told Time. “In a sport dominated by Black/African-American players, White America has rallied around Caitlin Clark. The support looks mostly amazing, sometimes fanatical and territorial, sometimes racist. It seems that the Great White Hope syndrome is at play again.”

A’ja Wilson agrees, telling AP News that race is involved when it comes to Clark’s media attention.

“It doesn’t matter what we all do as Black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug,” Wilson said in May. “That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is.”