Charlie Kirk Accused of Starting Race War in WNBA Over Caitlin Clark Referee Controversy and Aggressive Fouls

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2,422 videos 1,389,747,653 views US Joined Aug 30, 2018

Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, the largest and fastest growing conservative youth activist organization in the country with over 250,000 student members, over 150 full-time staff, and a presence on over 2,000 high school and college campuses nationwide. Charlie is also the Chairman of Students for Trump, which aims to activate one million new college voters on campuses in battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. His social media reaches over 100 million people per month and according to Axios, he is one of the "top 10 most engaged" Twitter handles in the world. He is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly ranks among the top news shows on Apple podcast charts.

Charlie Kirk Accused of Starting Race War in WNBA Over Caitlin Clark Referee Controversy and Aggressive Fouls

Charlie Kirk addresses accusations that he started a race debate in the WNBA after commenting on the Caitlin Clark controversy. Kirk and his team discuss the double standards in foul calls against Clark, the league's jealousy toward its first breakout white star in years, and why women's basketball struggles to attract viewers despite massive NBA subsidies. The conversation examines Clark's forced apology about white privilege, the league's demographics, and whether the WNBA's racial dynamics were already front and center long before Kirk weighed in.

May 31, 2025

The Accusation: Starting a Race War

Charlie Kirk opens by addressing a headline accusing him of turning the Caitlin Clark and WNBA referee controversy into a race debate. Kirk and his team find this remarkable, noting that the entire Caitlin Clark saga has been steeped in racial discussions since she was playing college basketball at Iowa. Articles questioned why a white woman had to be the one to make women's basketball popular, using language like "colonialism" to describe her impact on the sport.

Kirk points out the double standard in how fouls are called. Video shows Clark barely grazing an opponent with her fingertips, which was called as a violent foul, while she gets brutalized on the court with no calls going her way. The team sarcastically suggests a federal hate crime investigation might be needed to determine if she even made contact.

Why They're Really Mad at Caitlin Clark

Kirk argues that the real issue is jealousy. Clark is the best white player and one of the best overall players in the WNBA, which is overwhelmingly composed of black women. She's also the first WNBA player in approximately 20 years to achieve significant national popularity, following players like Lisa Leslie and Cheryl Swoopes. The difference is that Clark has reached a completely different level of fame and marketability.

The team discusses how Clark's popularity has transformed the league. WNBA revenue was $200 million in 2023, jumped to $710 million, and is projected to break a billion this year largely because of Clark. She has contributed to a 48% increase in attendance and record-breaking TV ratings. Yet instead of celebrating this success, many in the league resent that she's the one bringing in the crowds.

The Forced Apology

In December 2024, when Time magazine named Clark Athlete of the Year, she issued a statement that Kirk's team describes as sounding like a hostage situation. Clark said, "I want to say I've earned everything, but as a white person, there is privilege. A lot of the people who have made this league what it is are black women. The more we appreciate, highlight, and talk about that, the better. Brands and companies need to continue investing in those players who have made this league extraordinary. Elevating black women is a beautiful thing."

The team notes that in the article, "white" was lowercased while "black" was capitalized, signaling the political hierarchy at play. They argue this was a terrible strategic move, comparing it to other public figures who have learned that fake apologies satisfy no one. The people who already hate you won't come around, and those who respected you for standing up for yourself lose that respect.

The Racial Double Standard

Kirk highlights specific examples of racial double standards. Brittney Griner, who was released from Russian prison under Biden after the U.S. traded an international terrorist for her, reportedly called Caitlin Clark a "f---ing white girl" and "trash." Kirk emphasizes that if someone had called a black WNBA player a "f---ing black girl," there would be federal hate crime investigations, civil rights cases, and cities would burn. Under the current standard, that person would be completely canceled.

The team points out that 26% of the WNBA is openly lesbian, suggesting the actual number is likely closer to 35-40%. Part of the resentment toward Clark stems from the fact that she's more cleancut, has a boyfriend, isn't a lesbian like many WNBA players, and presents a wholesome image that families want their daughters to emulate. Leagues do better when they have players with positive images, but this reality breeds resentment.

Why Women's Basketball Is Unwatchable

The conversation shifts to why women's basketball struggles to attract viewers compared to other women's sports. Kirk and his team argue that while women excel in tennis, volleyball, gymnastics, track and field, softball, and even UFC, basketball suffers from an aesthetic drop-off that makes it visually difficult to watch. The pace, passing, shooting, and overall skill level compared to men's basketball makes it feel like watching sophomore boys' basketball.

They note that women's basketball uses a smaller ball (28.5 inches versus the larger men's ball), literally making it a different sport. The team pulls up montages of bad WNBA plays that look like JV-level basketball. Despite this, they acknowledge that Clark makes shots that even men couldn't make, and that college women's basketball is more watchable than professional women's basketball.

Other observations include that women's gymnastics, swimming, track and field, and volleyball are all more watchable than women's basketball. Women's volleyball in particular gets praise for being very intense and high-stakes, with some arguing it's more watchable than men's volleyball because men are so athletic they can spike almost immediately, reducing the volley.

The NBA Subsidy

The WNBA has never been profitable and survives only because the NBA subsidizes it as a subsidiary organization. A 2018 article titled "Why WNBA Players Are Overpaid" detailed how the NBA simply pays to keep the league afloat to avoid pushback from activists. The league carefully frames camera angles during games to avoid showing the sparse crowds, similar to how Congress frames shots to hide empty chambers.

Kirk's team can't fathom voluntarily sitting down to watch a WNBA game without having a relative playing. They joke about whether someone would rather find a $2 bill on the sidewalk or have their local WNBA team win a title, with the correct answer being uncertainty about whether their city even has a WNBA team. The Phoenix Mercury is mentioned, along with team names that sound distinctly feminine: Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Washington Mystics, Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, and the Golden State Valkyries.

The Challenge

When a viewer named Patty Luke criticizes them for bashing women who would "clean their clocks," the team reveals their athletic backgrounds. Kirk notes he's 6'5" and played competitive Midwest AAU basketball. He claims that if he could get his back fixed and have three months of proper preparation, he could beat the bottom 25% of WNBA players one-on-one. Andrew Kolvet mentions he was a first-team all-state football player and runner-up for state championships. Blake casually mentions he can bench 300 pounds, and another team member notes he was a collegiate golfer.

Kirk proposes making this happen: get his back surgery, prepare for three months, find someone recently cut from a WNBA team, pay her well, and film the one-on-one game. The conversation ends with Kirk confident he won't lose badly, given his height advantage over many WNBA players.

Sports League Comparisons

The discussion also touches on the NHL's declining viewership, which has dropped from about 500,000 regular season viewers in 2014-2015 to 385,000 between 2019-2020. Reasons include changes in media consumption, regionalization of broadcasts, low scoring, lack of star power, and pandemic impact. Kirk, a Philadelphia Flyers season ticket holder, reveals he recently dropped his tickets after the team's mascot Gritty went on ice with a trans flag during Pride Day, which he found tone-deaf given the largely conservative demographics of hockey fans.

The conversation notes that football absolutely dwarfs all other sports in popularity. Despite hockey's struggles, NHL teams in Sun Belt cities like Tampa Bay, Nashville, and Carolina have done surprisingly well, with only the Phoenix Coyotes (now moved to Utah as the Utah Mammoth) being a complete failure.

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