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USA Today via Reuters

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Debate

Caitlin Clark endorsing Kamala Harris—Is this the new wave of athlete activism we need?

Caitlin Clark loyalists have found new flames of controversy to fan. The Indiana Fever star is rounding up the regular season with the remaining few games as the WNBA gears up for the playoffs. But aside from the basketball world, the upcoming elections have also found a mention in the W. Amidst the latest political controversy surrounding the first-overall pick, it seems like the No. 22 might have some support in a former Minnesota Lynx player.

In a recent video on X, Renee Montgomery posted a clip from her ‘Montgomery & Co. Podcast’ that specifically talks about Caitlin Clark’s online fanbase. It all started when the Fever rookie ‘liked’ an Instagram post from Taylor Swift endorsing VP Kamala Harris. “On that post, all she did was like it…and the stans have now split against Caitlin. They’re actually going against Caitlin,” Montgomery says, shocked.

The former pro proceeds to read some comments on the situation but they seem far too ludicrous to the Lynx star. “So Caitlin had these big expectations when she came into the league and she’s clearly exceeding all of them. Not only on the court but off the court being an ambassador for these brands. But something sinister is happening online with Caitlin’s fanbase and these stans need to be addressed,” Montgomery mentioned.

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Swift’s post after debate night might have stated who she’s supporting but for Clark, the message seemed more geared toward the importance of voting. The Indiana player said in an interview the next day, “I have this amazing platform, so I think the biggest thing would be just encourage people to register to vote. That’s the biggest thing I can do with the platform that I have, and that’s the same thing Taylor did.”

But mixing sports with politics didn’t sit well with some, and Clark liking Taylor Swift’s post invited the wrath of some of her own fans. While she never explicitly stated her candidate, the rumor mill believes it’s Harris. But to the increasing online debate over the matter, Renee Montgomery says, “Some of ya’ll are taking it too far man. Do better.”

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She has been vocal in speaking up for the current generation, be it finance-wise or bringing in more viewers to the game. For one, the 2x WNBA champ is a big fan of a certain rivalry in the W.

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Caitlin Clark endorsing Kamala Harris—Is this the new wave of athlete activism we need?

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Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark? Renee Montgomery has a favorite

After retiring from the W, Montgomery chose to go the ownership route and currently owns part of the Atlanta Dream. While many have advocated for her to mentor the upcoming talent in the ways of handling finances as athletes, Montgomery has stuck to basketball mainly. Despite owning a seasoned WNBA team, the Lynx legend is looking at rookies from the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever that have taken the league by storm this year.

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Speaking to ‘NBA TV’ in May, Montgomery had already cleared her choices for Rookie of the Year. “Of course Caitlin Clark is the favorite to win rookie of the year,” she said. “But there’s also Angel Reese. It’s very interesting how things could go. It always depends on how well your team is playing, are people going to pick the best player on the best team, is it the high volume of points?” 

With Reese out for the season with an injury, after slowly fizzling out of the race anyway, Caitlin Clark is the apparent ROTY favorite. After all, she has been instrumental in taking the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Whether they go deep into the postseason or not, only time will tell. The same for whether the predictions by the fans and pundits will come true.