Sue Bird Says Caitlin Clark Didn't Bring Racism To WNBA, 'This Has Been Happening'

Caitlin Clark's popularity is being used to catapult the WNBA's racism conversation to the forefront ... so says retired legend Sue Bird, who claims the negative treatment from fans has been an issue long before the Indiana Fever superstar was drafted.

Clark's fellow WNBA ballers have spoken out on their mistreatment numerous times this season ... which has led many to believe it's the new spectators she brought to the league that are majorly at fault for the hate.

Bird weighed in on the subject on her "A Touch More" podcast with her ex-USWNT superstar wife, Megan Rapinoe ... and she said given her 21 years in the league, she knows damn well Clark wasn't indirectly responsible -- she's just being used as a "pawn" in the situation.

"She didn't bring racism to the WNBA," she said. "This has been happening and that is what's been a shock for all of us. That other people are surprised by this, we've been trying to tell you."

In her season-ending press conference. Clark slammed the hateful rhetoric from some fans -- saying those spewing hurtful messages are more so "trolls," not supporters.

"It's definitely upsetting," Clark said on Friday. "Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren't fans. Those are trolls and it's a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA."

Bird went on to say the responsibility to fight racism and hurtful language has fallen on the players ... and they learned if they wanted to push their league forward -- these issues would have to be addressed.

"You then want to know what else we learned," she said. "A, it feels good to stand up for yourself, it feels even better to stand up for others. We started to learn people were learning from us and able to follow us in a different way, and who are we following? Black women."

Bird said while she believes these issues will continue to be a "fabric of our league" ... she hopes one day they'll be able to talk more about the actual basketball going down on the court.