It’s January 22nd, and the Iowa No. 22 has officially reached her 23rd birthday! Soaking up the love, however, Caitlin Clark was on the giving end too. The 2024 ROTY announced a partnership between her foundation and Scholastic to promote childhood literacy and the deed did not go unnoticed. As people lauded, one, however, seems to have been mistranslated among CC fans, sparking raging reactions.

The Caitlin Clark Foundation in partnership with Scholastic donated 22,000 books to students in Iowa and Indiana. Having been impact by reading and education, the Indiana Fever icon wishes the same for the kids on the receiving end. “I remember picking out the books from the Scholastic flyer and how empowering that was for me as a child, and how motivated I was to read. I want to help kids have the same experience,” she said in a release.

The book will be reaching kids from kindergarten through to 8th graders. As the news broke out, Arelle Chambers, a prominent voice for women’s sports was one to notice. “The WNBA is so important,” she wrote on X, sharing a post announcing CC’s donation.

 

The phrase has been a recurring expression of Chambers’ in appreciation of WNBA players when they “do dope things in the community.” But some fans seem to have missed out on the context, igniting a flury of reactions.

Chambers’ remark lands wrong for Caitlin Clark fans

Fans couldn’t resist diving into the comment section under Ari’s post to share their perspectives. One fan wasn’t entirely satisfied with Ari’s response, as, for this spectator, Clark’s $76,000 earnings weren’t enough to make such a donation. “No offense. But what’s Clark and her foundation donating books have to do with the WNBA? The $ Clark’s made that allows her to do this wasn’t from the W and that paltry salary they pay,” wrote one user.

However, this wasn’t the only perspective. Another spectator believed Clark’s work was being downplayed by the mention of the league. “When other W players do charitable work, do you give credit to the W?” penned another user. “Huh? This is Clark’s doing not the WNBA,” one argued. More followed with harsher comments, some even questioning the league’s indifference towards the 23-year-old even if she were doing a good deed.

However, there were users to clarify the message and thank Chambers too.

“Thanks for sharing, Ari! So sorry some of my fellow CC fans are being unreasonable in the comments,” one user wrote.

This isn’t the first time the sports journalist has used the quotes. She first seems to have coined it on Facebook in 2016 and has continued to use it ever since. While Ari didn’t play herself, she’s got unwavering support for the league. “

It was ingrained in me at a young age that women’s basketball is super important… Even though I didn’t play myself, I grew up with the next generation of elite basketball players,” Chambers once expressed in an interview with The Cut.

Knowing her voice and role in the field, many stood up. “Ari reposted with a common phrase she uses to highlight great work the league and its players do to inspire and help others in the community. Not understanding why this is a problem. She is sharing great work from Caitlin’s foundation,” one summed up.

At the end of the day, Clark’s commitment to giving back remains undeniable. Whether it’s raising funds for Toys for Tots or empowering kids through literacy, she continues to use her platform for good. At just 23, Caitlin Clark is proving she’s just getting started.