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The spotlight remains on Caitlin Clark as Stephen A. Smith brought up race relations while discussing the WNBA rookie's impact on the league.
Smith's comments came in response to Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington criticizing Clark for failing to disassociate herself from those using her name to spread racism and other forms of bigotry.
"Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts," Carrington previously tweeted. "We all see the [s---]. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury."
When asked about the situation, Clark stated that any racist or misogynistic comments are "not acceptable."
"People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It's disappointing. It's not acceptable," Clark previously said. "... Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think, it's just a basic human thing that everybody should do."
During an episode of ESPN's First Take, Smith suggested that the conversation surrounding Clark represents a "broader issue" in society.
"There's a broader issue here that can't be escaped," Smith said. "And that is that's she is a white young lady and she's been a magnet in way, that has benefitted the league in ways that others have not, even though their efforts have been worthy and deserving of being as celebrated, if not even more celebrated."
Smith went on to invoke former President Donald Trump and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the debate about the Indiana Fever rookie.
"You have somebody that's a presidential candidate. What is his claim to fame? "Make America Great Again,"' Smith said referencing Trump. 'What have people interpreted that to mean? "Make America White Again."
"What has that led to? A divide," he continued. "It is not a divide that is created. It is a divide that is illuminated because it's highlighting and showing that it's been in existence all along. It hasn't gone anywhere."
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others were trying to make things happen in the '50s, in the '60s, Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus, everybody knows that was something that was orchestrated because a bigger issued needed to be addressed," the ESPN host said about race relations.
"And they had to find the right person to address it. And throughout history, we've seen a plethora of things transpire and take place where an individual had the light shined on them and it was orchestrated and plotted and planned because a bigger message and a bigger issue needed to be addressed."
"But the right person needed to come a long to give us the license to address it, and it might not have been through their own volition and it happens."
Listen to Smith's comments on Clark below.
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