Close-up photos of Cari Champion and Caitlin Clark

Cari Champion and Caitlin Clark (Photos via CNN & Getty Images)

Former ESPN host Cari Champion referred to Caitlin Clark as “privileged” while arguing for the Indiana Fever rookie on CNN.

Clark has been accused of benefitting from white privilege, with criticism coming from every angle following her unveiling as the TIME Magazine Athlete of the Year.

CNN’s Scott Jennings has suggested that the former Iowa star is responsible for the criticism as she’s tried to appeal to the “woke mob” by paying homage to the stars who came before her, though they built a league that has never actually made money.

Cari Champion Defended Caitlin Clark, But Still Called Her Privileged

Champion countered Jennings’ argument with claims that Clark was simply showing respect and gets bullied for anything she says.

“But before she entered the league that started in 1997, there were the Lisa Leslies and the Dawn Staleys and Sheryl Swoopes of it all who really built the league, and they weren’t getting the attention, because let’s face it, the league was built in a way in which, it wasn’t mainstream,” the former First Take host declared. “And all she’s simply saying is, ‘I want to respect those who come before me.’”

Champion added that Caitlin Clark also recognizes that she’s privileged while suggesting that the money she makes is not just due to the fact that she’s an incredible shooter.

“She makes more money than the people who built this league,” she noted. “And she understands that there’s a reason, not because she shoots the ball well. Yes, that also helps, but there’s another reason that says, ‘I’m white, and it’s a privilege and people love me.’”