Caitlin Clark declines to endorse Kamala Harris, encourages voting

Shortly after Taylor Swift officially endorsed Kamala Harris late Tuesday night via Instagram following the presidential debate, other social media activity sparked even more chatter online: 

Caitlin Clark, the star of the Indiana Fever and a self-proclaimed Swiftie, liked Swift’s post. 

Did that mean the overwhelming favorite to win 2024 Rookie of the Year was endorsing Harris herself? 

Clark was asked exactly that Wednesday during her pregame availability before the Fever took on the Aces in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

“I think for myself, having this amazing platform, the biggest thing I would encourage people to register to vote — this is the second election I can vote — that’s the same thing Taylor did,” Clark said of Swift’s plea to for Americans to vote, which included a link to register. 

“I think continue to educate yourself about the candidates that we have and the policies that we’re supporting, I think that’s the biggest thing you can do and I would recommend that to every single person that has that opportunity in our country.”

Clark did not answer a specific question about if she would be endorsing Harris herself. 

It’s hardly the first time a prominent WNBA player has gotten involved in politics. In 2020, the WNBPA decided as a league to endorse Rev. Raphael Warnock for one of the U.S. Senate seats in Georgia, leading a public campaign to oust incumbent — and then-Atlanta Dream owner — Kelly Loeffler. The WNBA was also the first league to back the Black Lives Matter movement and individual players have taken actions like skipping the national anthem.

At the Paris Olympics, Breanna Stewart said WNBA players were committed to “finding a way to make sure we can back Kamala as much as we can,” mentioning that two foundational pieces of Harris’ campaign – voting rights and reproductive rights – were issues players have advocated for. 

But Tuesday marked the first time Clark has made any sort of political statement herself — even if she tried to downplay it somewhat on Wednesday. 

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