Caitlin Clark says 'people should not be using my name' to push hateful agendas

There's a lot of discussion surrounding Caitlin Clark and her performance on the basketball court, but the WNBA's No. 1 overall draft pick has also been at the center of debates that aren't related to the sport, and "it's disappointing" to her.

Clark has monumentally boosted interest in women's basketball, but as a white basketball player, her name and fame have been used to incite culture wars, most notably on social media. There's also been heated debates about her play and why she didn't make the USA Basketball Olympic roster.

Before the Indiana Fever's contest against the Atlanta Dream Thursday night, Clark was asked about how she's been thrust into these debates despite keeping a low profile on social media. The Fever star said it's "something I can't control" and that she doesn't see people weaponizing her name for arguments.

"I don't put too much thought and time into thinking about things like that, and to be honest, I don't see a lot of it," Clark said. "Basketball is my job. Everything on the outside, I can't control that, so I'm not going to spend time thinking about that.

"I'm just here to play basketball. I'm here to have fun. I'm trying to help our team win," she added.

Clark was later asked Thursday about her response to people using her name for racist and misogynistic arguments, and she said every player in the league deserves the same respect.

"People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It's disappointing. It's not acceptable," Clark said. "Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think it's just a basic human thing that everybody should do."

Clark and the Fever continue their season on Thursday night in their first home game in nearly two weeks.