RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Caitlin Clark spoke about Stephanie White and the backlash she received for her stance on DiJonai Carrington’s foul on Sophie Cunningham. Stephen A. Smith thinks it shows the problem in the WNBA.
The head coach of the Indiana Fever, Stephanie White, got in some hot water with fans after defending DiJonai Carrington following the latter’s hard foul on Sophie Cunningham.
Fans were unhappy with her statements, and responded by booing her pre-game during their next clash. Superstar Caitlin Clark spoke about the issue later, backing up her coach.
Clark said that White was only human and that these moments can be quite hard. Her statement wasn’t much more than a show of support and one of the biggest basketball analysts has taken issue with it.
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Stephen A. Smith accuses Caitlin Clark of ‘saying nothing’ and thinks WNBA stars need to be more direct
Stephen A. Smith has built a successful career by providing nothing short of the strongest opinions. And in the aftermath of Clark’s statement, that’s exactly why he thought it needed to be, too.
Clark simply spoke about cutting White some slack without addressing the issue. Smith took issue with this and used it as an example of a larger issue he perceives with players in the W.
“Congratulations. What a statement saying absolutely, positively nothing,” Smith said on his show. “See, if this were the men, we would be demanding that folks speak up and get down to the bare bones about what’s really, really, really going on here and not dancing around the issue.
“What disgusts me listening to so many of these ladies talking about these issues: You’re smart, you’re articulate, you’re educated. You’ve got facts, you’ve got fervour and passion. You’ve got knowledge.
“You’ve got history backing you up. You got a whole bunch of things in your favour… Look into the camera and address it with the realness, and the intensity, and the passion it deserves.”
This is something which Smith clearly has strong feelings about. Some fans will agree with him, but Clark in particular has always been careful with what she says to the media. That is unlikely to change.
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