Veteran commentator Stephen A. Smith was far from impressed with Caitlin Clark’s defense of Stephanie White, following the Fever coach’s controversial reception from Indiana fans. What Smith seems to see instead is that Clark and other WNBA players are avoiding the bigger issues surrounding the league.
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Reacting to Caitlin Clark’s post-game statement after their 106-92 victory over the New York Liberty, Smith criticized the Fever star’s comments.
“Congratulations. What a statement, saying absolutely, positively nothing,” Smith said in the video, which he shared on his X page on Wednesday.
“See, if this were the men, we would not only be asking, we would be demanding that folks speak up, and put it where the goats can get it, and get down to the bare bones about what’s really, really, really going on here, and not dancing around the issues.”
“And what disgusts me, listening to so many of these ladies talk about the issues. You’re smart, you’re articulate, you’re educated, you got facts, you got fervor and passion, you’ve got knowledge, you’ve got history backing you up, you got a whole bunch of things in your favor, along with the microphone and the lens, to look into the camera, and address it with the realness, the sincerity, and the passion, and the fervor it deserves. And y’all dancing.”
The reason Caitlin Clark defended Coach White started with DiJonai Carrington’s Flagrant 2 foul against Sophie Cunningham in last Saturday’s game. In the first quarter itself, DiJonai Carrington chased down the Fever guard who attempted to score a layup during a fast break.
While both players were airborne Carrington swiped her hand to block the layup but got none of the ball. Instead, Cunningham made the layup, while Carrington made hard contact with the Fever star’s face and neck and sent her crashing to the hardwood.
In the postgame press conference, White responded with a neutral statement, which didn’t please the fans.
“Look, it was a hard foul. I don’t think DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did. But it did happen, and I thought it was the right call.”
What followed was backlash from Fever fans on social media. It even culminated in Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith publicly calling for White’s sacking for the way she handled the situation in the post-game presser.
Despite the impassioned address White gave ahead of the game against the New York Liberty, explicitly calling the play “egregious” upon rewatching it and saying that she would always stand up for her players, a segment of the home crowd still booed her during introductions.
However, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham did stand by their coach, expressing their displeasure with the fans’ behavior and reiterating that just like their coach had their backs, they have hers too.
For Stephen A. Smith, however, Clark’s response was too general and avoided addressing the controversial substance behind the situation, which was DiJonai Carrington’s foul on her teammate Sophie Cunningham. And the way he sees it, that is the general disposition toward sensitive issues in the WNBA by many of the other entities within it.