Ma$e has come to the defense of rising WNBA star Caitlin Clark, who has been dealing with a wave of criticism over her frequent hard fouls.
In an NBC News interview, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark shared that she tries not to let the criticism affect her, despite being the third-most fouled player in the league. ‘I wasn’t expecting it,’ she admitted about her most recent foul. ‘But I think it’s … just respond, come down, let the play do the talking. It is what it is. It’s a physical game, go make the free throw and then execute on offense.’
On the same day, Ma$e expressed his support for Clark during an episode of the It Is What It Is podcast. Beginning at the 12:05 mark, he stated, ‘They are just playing down the significance of just female sports being portrayed the right way. If you want branding dollars, then you have to be brand appropriate. You go further when your brand is clean enough to be marketed on different platforms.’
Ma$e continued, ‘When it comes to Caitlin Clark, I think they are being rough with her. I heard what Monica had to say, and I kinda disagree. […] If someone is coming in, and they’re adding more eyes, and more marketing dollars, why would you try to not make that person a success?’ He concluded, ‘Not that you should be helping her, but you definitely shouldn’t be trying to hurt her. It shouldn’t be over-aggression towards Caitlin, because it comes across as hating.’
The podcast isn’t the only place where Clark has garnered attention. Back in April, NBA trainer Chris Brickley revealed on Instagram that Travis Scott recognized Clark’s talent early on. Brickley shared a screenshot of a tweet, which included a text from Travis Scott saying, ‘Caitlin Clark [six brain exploding emojis].’
Brickley posted this before Iowa’s game against UCONN, which the Hawkeyes won 71-69 on April 5. He added a caption, ‘I’ve seen people calling @travisscott a bandwagon @caitlinclark22 fan. Well in 2021, he was the first person to ever text me or bring her up to me. He’s really been a day 1 Caitlin Clark fan. Also S/O my Brodie for his new college apparel line with @lids @fanatics & @mitchellandness [two red exclamation emojis]. It’s too fire!!!’
Brickley continued, ‘I’m def a big @caitlinclark22 fan and I’m excited to get in the gym with her but I’m also a big @paigebueckers fan, we’ve been grinding for years!!! TONIGHT GONNA BE A GREAT ONE!!’
As debates continue over how Caitlin Clark is treated on the court, it’s clear she has significant support from both sports and music figures. Whether through public statements or social media posts, the encouragement she receives speaks volumes about her talent and impact on the game.
