Man, the Caitlin Clark discourse has really gotten uncontrolled.
After Clark was left off the US Girls’s Olympic crew, the takes flew in from in all places on each side of the discourse, however none extra outstanding than Stephen A. Smith, for higher or worse. On Monday, Smith was on First Take discussing Clark not being on Group USA … and I really feel like this might’ve been mentioned higher:
Stephen A. Smith to Andraya Carter: “I’m telling you proper now you’re going to be underpaid for the remainder of what I consider will probably be an illustrious profession except you get your thoughts proper about that advertising and marketing. It issues.”
Andraya: “I hear you, Stephen A. However I can’t sacrifice… pic.twitter.com/AVLkIzCcRP
— Terrible Saying (@awfulannouncing) June 10, 2024
That is … that is certain one thing. Whereas I feel I perceive what Stephen A is saying, the way in which that he says it and the context round it look extremely dirty. Inserting advertising and marketing straight at odds with somebody like Carter’s integrity of data about ladies’s basketball actually, really sucks and makes an attempt to get folks to consider that data about ladies’s basketball will all the time come second to advertising and marketing.
This isn’t the primary time Smith has misstepped on the subject of the WNBA. On June 3, he and fellow ESPN analyst Monica McNutt had a dialogue concerning the WNBA, the place issues unraveled shortly:
Stephen A. Smith: “Who talks concerning the WNBA, who talks about ladies, who talks about ladies’s sports activities greater than First Take?”
Monica McNutt: “Stephen A., respectfully, along with your platform, you possibly can have been doing this three years in the past in the event you wished to.”
Stephen A.: “Wow.” pic.twitter.com/szQXOPQ3h4
— Terrible Saying (@awfulannouncing) June 3, 2024
Smith would then go on his podcast to debate the interplay, the place he solely added gas to the hearth.
The discussions surrounding the WNBA and Clark general have really gotten uncontrolled. In makes an attempt for everybody to attempt to make Clark the savior of the WNBA, the world has each put far an excessive amount of on her shoulders, whereas disrespecting the ladies within the WNBA who’ve been spearheading the fixed development of the league. There’s a lot extra to speak about than simply Clark within the W! A’ja Wilson is having a profession 12 months! Dearica Hamby goes off in LA now with extra probabilities with the ball. The Connecticut Solar are dominating opponents!
Within the media sphere, we’ve got to be higher discussing the WNBA, and discussing Clark as effectively, as a result of belittling the individuals who have been right here for the reason that starting isn’t the way in which.
