Nothing was off limits for tennis legend Serena Williams as she hosted the ESPYs in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
In her opening monologue, Williams recognized Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark for her three nominations, including female athlete of the year.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, is seen after a game against the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 6, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Despite initially praising the WNBA’s first overall pick, Williams joked about the debate surrounding Clark’s unprecedented popularity in the league.
“Caitlin Clark had a great year and was nominated for three awards. Caitlin, you’re a Hummingbird because you’re a great player, you have connections to Indiana, and white people are really crazy about you.” Williams’s joking comment, however, comes on the heels of her recent advice to Clark, when she suggested that the root of the controversy surrounding her professional debut was jealousy.
Host Serena Williams speaks onstage during the 2024 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)
“I just love that she tries to keep her cool and she doesn’t… look at her social media,” Williams told The Associated Press last month on the red carpet for the premiere of her new documentary series.
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“I get it. I don’t get it either. And I think it’s important for her to continue doing what she’s doing. And no matter what anybody else does, if people are negative, it’s because they can’t do what you do, basically. Hopefully she keeps doing what she’s doing.”
Clark did just that.
Over the weekend, the former Iowa star scored 19 points, dished out 13 assists and grabbed 12 rebounds to become the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double. She also received the most votes for the WNBA All-Star Game, and this week, she became the first WNBA player to have at least 25 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals and five 3-pointers in a single game.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, throws the ball into the court against the Las Vegas Aces during the first quarter of a game at T-Mobile Arena on July 2, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Despite losing the female athlete of the year award to Las Vegas Ace star A’ja Wilson, Clark won two awards for her record-breaking performance as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and the college athlete of the year award for her basketball career at Iowa.
“I was a little busy in Indianapolis,” Clark said via video. “It was a special year in women’s sports.”
Chantz Martin of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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