News

The Caitlin Clark Stuff is Getting Out of Control

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jun 3rd, 2024 · 3:28 PM EDT

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People aren’t happy with Pat McAfee for saying “white bitch” in this Monday video clip:

Monday’s Pat McAfee Show opened with a Caitlin Clark PowerPoint:

“I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class’. Nah, just call it for what it is — there’s one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a superstar.” pic.twitter.com/psGNQXts5O

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 3, 2024

Not sure what’s up with Pat’s microphone, but we’re losing the plot with the Caitlin Clark stuff. She didn’t take the Iowa women’s basketball program “from nothing” to something. Between 2010 and 2020, they went to the NCAA tournament eight times and won eight games. They weren’t exactly the little sisters of the poor out there in Iowa City.

But the big story on Action News was Clark getting bodied to the ground by Chennedy Carter this past weekend:

Caitlin Clark shoved by Chennedy Carter, who received a foul.

Clark made a free throw and later told ESPN, “Yeah, that’s just not a basketball play … But you know I’ve gotta play through it, that’s what basketball is about at this level.”pic.twitter.com/4HdF9OVRev

— BoreCure (@CureBore) June 1, 2024

This came after a sequence in which Clark reached in for a steal and caught Carter in the face on the other end of the floor. They exchanged some words and then the shove happened after the basket. Clark? Not innocent, but general consensus seems to be that making a basketball play and talking some shit doesn’t warrant being called a “bitch” and pushed to the ground while the ball is not in play.

But wait, there’s more! We had Angel Reese getting up and clapping for the shove while Clark’s teammates did nothing. Not a single player defending her at all:

Angel Reese hopping off the bench to throw a parade for Caitlin Clark’s murder is crazy lollll pic.twitter.com/NKj5Ur7PZG

— Eric Nathan (@BarstoolNate) June 1, 2024

Aafter the game, the Chicago players didn’t wanna talk about it:

Chennedy Carter, given a chance to explain herself postgame, says “next question.”

Then later, “I ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions.”

Coach Teresa Weatherspoon stepped in: “That’s enough. We’re good.”

Disappointing press conference. Accountability lacking. pic.twitter.com/yw45QUieRo

— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) June 1, 2024

You look at these clips and read the comments, check out social media posts from Jemele Hill and Outkick and all of the various race baiters on both ends of the spectrum, and the entire thing is pathetic. Pitiful! Shameful individuals and organizations grabbing the lowest-hanging fruit they can find. Surely the people running the WNBA have to be concerned about it. The league has more eyeballs on the product than ever before, and should be leveraging this opportunity, yet Caitlin Clark’s rookie season is quickly devolving into a contemporary case study on American race relations. The WNBA is simply a vessel for that discussion.

What, you don’t think so? Okay tell me how many points Clark scored in either game this weekend. Tell me who the best team in the league is right now. It’s Connecticut Sun, who haven’t lost a game. I’m willing to bet that 98% of sports fans can’t answer either one of those questions. But they probably did see the social media clips talking about white bitches, or the video of the shove, or Charles Barkley ripping WNBA players for being petty. It’s really dominating social, and not in a good way. We’re dangerously close to a Don Imus reprise.

Everyone needs to chill out. Let the players play. And if you’re the WNBA, you’ve got new viewers paying attention for the first time in probably forever, so don’t screw it up. Protect the product and get this shit under control. Let’s get some adults in the room.