Stephen A. Smith and Monica McNutt got into over the growing conversation around WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark being bullied by other players in the league.
The conversation on on ESPN’s “First Take” concerned a game over the weekend where Chicago Sky player Chennedy Carter was called for a Flagrant 1 foul against Clark before the ball was in play. Many think some of the more veteran players in the league are being unfair to the rookie who is bringing in droves of new viewers to the sport.
Smith and McNutt disagreed with one another when the discussion turned to the discussion of how WNBA players are scrutinized, with McNutt also saying Clark shouldn’t be “babied” on the court as a rookie.
“Welcome to the world of being a woman Stephen A.,” McNutt said. “And how you have to dance around your word choice and you have to please everybody and anybody as you navigate your being.”
“How about being a black man,” Smith responded.
“This is what I’m saying and we didn’t necessarily go there but maybe we should,” McNutt said. “There are so many layers in this conversation around the way it is being discussed.”
McNutt continued, “the prevailing sentiment for those just joining the WNBA and following women’s sports is unfair to the women of this league, to your point, who have laid the groundwork for Caitlin Clark to come in and now take it to the next level. Chennedy Carter’s behavior is not indicative of the entire league, we are still talking about competition where you are allowed to get a little extra elbow in if you are competing and you do it within the parameters of the game. The game is physical, Caitlin is helping to grow the league, these women understand that, but she can not be babied as a rookie.”
“Who talks about the WNBA, who talks about women, who talks about women’s sports more than ‘First Take?’” Smith asked after.
“Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted to,” McNutt shot back.
Watch the entire “First Take” interaction below.