Social media was not loving Caitlin Clark getting snubbed by TV network’s MVP graphic
An article on OutKick, Fox News's sports opinion site, reports on a wave of social media backlash after Ion Sports, a WNBA broadcast partner, released a graphic ranking the league's top five MVP candidates without including Caitlin Clark. The omission struck many fans and commentators as notable given Clark's outsized profile and influence on the league's popularity, and it comes amid a broader pattern of controversies around how broadcasters and outlets choose to feature, or exclude, her.
The piece frames the snub as part of a recurring theme in WNBA media coverage this year, noting it follows other incidents such as Clark's absence from a new ESPN documentary about the league and instances of her being kept from reporters despite standout performances. The article does not name the specific players who appeared on Ion Sports' MVP graphic instead of Clark, focusing instead on the strength and speed of the online reaction to her exclusion.
- Ion Sports left Caitlin Clark off its top-five WNBA MVP graphic
- Social media reacted strongly, calling the omission a snub
- Follows other recent incidents of Clark being excluded from WNBA coverage
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Social media backlash refers to a wave of public criticism aimed at a decision, image or comment shared online, usually by a company, broadcaster or public figure. In this case, the trigger was a graphic produced by Ion Sports, a US television network that broadcasts WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) games, ranking the league's top five candidates for MVP, the league's Most Valuable Player award, given each season to its standout performer.
Caitlin Clark is a star WNBA player known for drawing unusually large television audiences and media attention to the league since turning professional. Her prominence means that decisions by broadcasters and outlets about how much coverage to give her, including whether to feature her at all, have become a recurring talking point among fans and commentators, with some viewing any omission as a deliberate slight and others as a routine editorial choice.
OutKick, the outlet reporting this story, is a sports opinion and commentary site owned by Fox News. The wider context is a string of similar incidents this year involving Clark and WNBA media coverage, which the article says have fuelled ongoing debate about how the league and its broadcast partners choose to represent its players.