“Didn’t Want to Put (Caitlin Clark) as ROTY”: Fever Star’s LPGA Debut Triggers Fierce Allegations Against the WNBA

When Caitlin Clark finally participated in the LPGA, the whole golfing environment was supportive. There were posts and live-in chats all over the social media channels of the 22-year-old’s performances, while the Golf Channel kicked off 90 minutes earlier that usual to feature the snippets, that got one of the popular podcasters feeling as if the WNBA did not value Clark and instead wanted to balance out her popularity with her rivals.

On Thursday’s episode of her podcast, Rachel DeMita shared her take on W’s treatment of the ROTY after she witnessed a difference in golf’s.

“Now, from this event, I have only seen and heard of positive things. I didn’t hear one thing about how her fans are toxic. I didn’t hear one thing about there being too much spotlight on Caitlin Clark. And it should have maybe been on the professional golfers that are there. We didn’t hear any of that, and those are the types of things that we have been hearing for the entirety of the WNBA season last season,” DeMita stated.

Previously when the W had not televised the Minnesota Lynx’s first preseason game this year and instead chose to bring to the fore Clark’s, it had angered the Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. The 2024 W Finalist HC took to X to share the date and time of the game. However, what turned eyes was that one of her followers alleged that the league “only care(s) about Caitlin,” to which she replied “That part,” most probably nodding in approval.

The debate on rookie treatment, not enough recognition from the league legends, Sheryl Swoopes for instance, and the emphasis on the toxic culture among fans that at times drew away from impact, has the podcaster noting that maybe the W wasn’t as all in for Clark and her force as she witnessed golf to be.

“There’s immediate hesitancy about giving Caitlin Clark too much praise. They didn’t want to give her too much praise. They didn’t want to prop her up too much, and forget about everyone else who came before her. Didn’t want to put her on MVP ladders, didn’t want to put her as Rookie of the Year until it was so evident that they had to,” DeMita alleged.

Furthermore, she enunciated that it looked as if the league was trying to limit itself from giving the Indiana Fever star her props. “We don’t want to give her too much praise. We don’t want to tweet about her too much. We don’t want to post about her too much.”

DeMita’s opinions sparked after the LPGA welcomed the number 22 with open arms.

LPGA had only good words about Caitlin Clark

On Wednesday, the Fever sensation participated in the LPGA Pro-AM alongside Nelly Korda and Annika Soresntam. While she played the first nine holes with Korda, the WNBA’s number-one pick played the back nine alongside Sorenstam. Though the game wasn’t broadcast on TV, fans could buy their tickets from the official Annika website. Plus throughout the day, GOLF Channel, NBC Sports, LPGA Tour, and The ANNIKA social media handles showed Clark’s golfing prowess along with live interviews and highlights of special moments.

“Very thankful to her to take the time to be part of our event,” Sorenstam had said while Brittany Lincicome stated, “It can only help grow women’s golf,” happy that the league was cashing in on her popularity. “To see the influence that she has on people, bringing people out here, and to see how amazing of an influence she is just for sports, was really cool to see firsthand today,” Korda remarked while thanking W’s single-season highest assist maker for getting the eyes on women’s golf.

Even though Clark had a few mishits, the World No. 1 praised the Iowa-alum for “picking the ball really clean,” and also ignoring her mistakes since Clark “probably gets to the golf course once a week.” It was a win-win for event that had witnessed about a 1000% surge in ticket sales and Clark, who grew up loving the game and respecting the women who played by her on the 13th.