Iowa former coach gives a strong defense of Caitlin Clark's TIME cover as Athlete of the Year

Caitlin Clark being named TIME’s Athlete of the Year continues to generate buzz, especially after Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson claimed that the entire WNBA, not just the Indiana Fever guard, deserved the honor. However, Lisa Bluder, Clark’s former Iowa coach, dismissed the controversy as “silly.”

Speaking with USA TODAY’s Sports Seriously, Bluder emphasized Clark’s historic impact on women’s sports. “It’s silly to me that anybody’s trying to take away from something that’s so good in your sport right now,” said Bluder.

“(Clark) is a person that’s really helped athletics, helped women’s sports in a way that nobody has helped women’s sports, maybe since Billie Jean King,” she added. Bluder retired in May after 24 seasons coaching the Iowa Hawkeyes, where Clark played from 2020 to 2024.

Mystics owner Johnson previously told CNN that Clark was not the only WNBA talent to shine this year and argued that “the structure of the way media plays out race” influenced the Fever star receiving the honor.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) gets a hug from Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder (IMAGO / Icon Sportswire)

“It has taken the WNBA almost 28 years to get to the point where we are now,” Johnson said. “I feel really bad because I’ve seen so many players of color who are equally as talented, and they never got the recognition that they should have. And I think right now, it is time for that to happen,” she added.

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Sports icon defends Caitlin Clark’s Athlete of the Year award after Mystics' owner’s comments

Temi Fagbenle Defends Clark

In an earlier interview, Clark acknowledged that she has benefited from “white privilege” and paid tribute to Black players, noting that the WNBA was “built on them.” However, her comments have not been universally appreciated, with some, including Sheryl Swoopes, questioning her TIME honor.

Among Clark’s defenders are tennis legend Chris Evert and her former teammate Temi Fagbenle, who recently joined the Golden State Valkyries roster in the WNBA Expansion Draft.

“Let me make this clear,” Fagbenle posted on X. “CC can speak about having white privilege without hating herself. CC can acknowledge the REALITY of race disparities without pandering to any group. CC can celebrate the GIANTS who have come before her without diminishing her own HISTORIC accomplishments,” she added.