WNBA star Caitlin Clark hinted at her political beliefs ahead of this year’s US election by liking a social media post from Taylor Swift endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, but she stopped short of endorsing a candidate when asked by reporters on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Swift ended speculation about whether she would endorse a particular candidate ahead of November’s election by telling her Instagram followers that she would be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Clark was one of more than 10 million people to like the post but stopped short of formally endorsing Harris herself.
“I have this amazing platform, so I think the biggest thing would be to just encourage people to register to vote,” Clark told reporters on Wednesday, when asked about her decision to like the post.
“That’s the biggest thing I can do with the platform that I have and that’s the same thing Taylor (Swift) did.
“Continue to educate yourself on the candidates that we have, the policies that they’re supporting – I think that’s the biggest thing you can do. And that’s what I would recommend to every single person that has the opportunity in our country.”
Since bursting into the WNBA following her remarkable college career, Clark has had to navigate the challenges that come with being such an influential figure.
Earlier this year, the 22-year-old said it was “disappointing” to see people using her name to push their own agendas, especially when it comes to racism and misogyny.
This, though, appears to be the first indication of Clark’s political leanings ahead of the presidential election.
The WNBA and its players have regularly engaged with societal and political issues. At this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, Team USA’s women’s basketball team emphasized their endorsement of Harris’ presidential bid before going on to win gold in a dramatic final against France.
Women’s basketball players have also had influential voices in key elections before.
In 2020, the Atlanta Dream protested against the team’s then co-owner – then Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was running for reelection against Rev. Raphael Warnock – over her opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. That race ended up going to a run-off and Warnock defeated Loeffler. He’s now serving as a senator from Georgia.
