Caitlin Clark's Taylor Swift Gesture Goes Viral After AMAs Disappointment
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Caitlin Clark's gesture to Taylor Swift has gone viral following the singer's disappointing American Music Awards.
Newsweek reached out to Clark's representative via email for comment on Wednesday.
The Context
Clark plays for Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team Indiana Fever. The 23-year-old is a fan of Swift and attended the billionaire pop star's Eras Tour in Indianapolis in November. Earlier this year, the pair were spotted together at a Kansas City Chiefs game, where they were seen hugging in the crowd. Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, is a tight end for the Chiefs.
On Monday, Swift, 35, was nominated in six categories at the American Music Awards (AMAs) including: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Collaboration of the Year (with Post Malone), Favorite Female Pop Artist, Favorite Touring Artist and Favorite Pop Album. However, she did not win any of the fan-voted awards.
Swifties—the word used to describe Swift's fandom—accused the awards show of muting her cheers during the Artist of the Year announcement. According to some, the ceremony was "rigged" and "manipulated."
Left, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever poses for a photo at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 1, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Right, Taylor Swift performs onstage during her Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium on...
Left, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever poses for a photo at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 1, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Right, Taylor Swift performs onstage during her Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024, in London, England. More; Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
To add to fans' disappointment, the "Fortnight" singer didn't drop a new album—which many thought she might do based on clues leading up to the event. Prior to the AMAs, eagle-eyed netizens pointed out that the words "Apparel, Music, Accessories and Sale" on Swift's website spelled out "AMAs." There were also 12 items on sale at 26 percent off, which some thought held significance. Fans are patiently waiting for her 12th album, and the AMAs took place on May 26.
Then, "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" was used in a recent episode of The Handmaid's Tale, though the hit song originally debuted in the 2023 television series Wilderness.
What To Know
On Tuesday, Indiana Fever took to Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, to share a photo and video of Clark wearing Swift's merch. The basketball star wore a black Eras Tour T-shirt with black pants and sneakers.
"Caitlin Clark reppin' Taylor Swift," the WNBA team wrote.
In the video, Clark appeared to say, "Taylor Swift, baby. Best shirt in the world."
At the time of publication, the X posts had racked up 748,900 views and 223,500 views respectively. On Instagram, while no view count was listed, the post had 63,500 likes.
Clark later reposted Indiana Fever's Instagram to her Instagram Stories.
What People Are Saying
In the comments underneath the posts on both X and Instagram, fans praised Clark's outfit.
X user @invsiblestrn wrote: "I LOVE HER SM [SO MUCH]."
@dorotheaTrack8 said: "She's the GOAT."
Photographer Bri Lewerke posted via Instagram in a message with 317 likes: "With the Prada bag too? A fit @caitlinclark22."
Instagram user @samanthakavander commented in a message with 173 likes: "My whole personality in one photo."
@hometoswift shared in a note with 129 likes: "TAYLOR AND CAITLIN, THE QUEENIES OF THE WORLD!!!!!"
@honeemel added in a reply with 35 likes: "Loving the Eras Tour merch on CC!! Smiled so BIG when I saw that."
What Happens Next
The Chiefs' schedule was recently released, and their first regular season game will take place on September 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. While Swift has largely kept a low-profile after wrapping up her Eras Tour in December, it's likely fans will catch a glimpse of the Pennsylvania native in the stands at Kelce's games soon.
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