“We attach our fandom to these icons for all types of reasons, and sometimes they may not be based in truth.

When it comes to Caitlin Clark, race often seems to be a part of the conversation. And that was the case late last week, as ESPN’s Monica McNutt discussed the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year during an appearance on BBC News.

At one point during the interview, the ESPN women’s basketball analyst noted “the amount of little girls” who showed up to witness Clark’s games throughout her rookie season. And when asked by BBC special correspondent Katty Kay why that was so unique to the Indiana Fever star, McNutt pointed to race as the primary factor.

“I think Caitlin represented — and again, some of this to me probably is not fair to her, because it was not anything that she said or was truly based on her personality — but she was a white girl from the middle of America,” McNutt said. “And so she represented a whole lot to many people, whether that is indeed what she ascribed to or not.

McNutt added: “We can all say she’s a dynamic basketball player and a force both on the court and in a marketing sense. But I do think the same thing applies to folks who may have fallen in love with Angel Reese; she may or may not have agreed with everything they had to say, either. We attach our fandom to these icons for all types of reasons, and sometimes they may not be based in truth.”

Unsurprisingly, McNutt’s answer has received plenty of pushback from those who believe her reference to Clark’s race was unnecessary. This is especially true considering the extraordinary nature of the 23-year-old’s on-court accomplishments during both her storied college career and a rookie season in which she was named All-WNBA First Team while leading the league in assists.

In McNutt’s defense, she did reference Clark’s “dynamic” ability as a player while also drawing a parallel to the popularity of Angel Reese, who is Black. Although her answer could be perceived as somewhat clunky, her larger point appeared to be that Clark’s appeal stems from both her play and her relatability—real or perceived—as “a white girl from the middle of America.”

Ultimately, it’d be naive to think that race doesn’t play at least a role in Caitlin Clark’s popularity, who previously stated she’s benefitted from white privilege. Conversely, it’s understandable why some would take issue with Monica McNutt treating it as a driving force behind her phenomenon instead of her historic on-court accomplishments.