The off-the-ball shove by WNBA star Chennedy Carter on “golden girl” Caitlin Clark, which sent Clark reeling to the floor, has ignited a full-scale war of words that has lasted more than two days on social media.
The episode happened on Saturday afternoon, June 1, during Carter’s Chicago Sky versus Clark’s Indiana Fever. The Fever won the hotly contested game in a last-second nailbiter, 71-70.
Carter, angry that Clark elbowed her in her face on an earlier play, got her revenge by spitting invectives at Clark during an out-of-bounds play and then shoved the stationary Clark hard enough to make her fall to the court. Upon further review by the league, Carter was initially hit with a foul call that has been upgraded to a flagrant foul 1.
The WNBA confirmed that Chennedy Carter’s foul on Caitlin Clark from yesterday’s game has been upgraded to a Flagrant 1, per @alexaphilippou.pic.twitter.com/o7QzaFRkL5
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 2, 2024
A multitude of Clark fans immediately blitzed Carter with a barrage of insults and accusations that she is jealous and racist towards Clark — a White woman who became the face of the league before she even played a single game in the WNBA.
Following Saturday’s game, Carter refused to answer questions about Clark. But on her social media, Carter asked rhetorically what Clark had brought to the game besides “3-pointers.”
As far as the hard bump on Clark, Carter tweeted that either a player can figuratively take the heat or get out of the kitchen
“We grown asf,” she railed against her critics on X. “And y’all talking about enforcer 😂 man gtfoh. Hoop or shut up ….,” Carter tweeted Sunday.
Ex-NBA and current players defend Caitlin Clark and blast her alleged haters
A number of preeminent players, both retired and current stars, have raced to social media to defend Clark and chastise the WNBA players for their alleged “jealousy” and “resentment” for Clark’s special treatment. Among the most recognized Clark defenders have been LeBron James and Charles Barkley, who implore the players to flush the “hate” and “jealousy” from their hearts.
Matt Barnes, a former NBA enforcer who defended the likes of Kobe Bryant and Blake Griffin during his career, lambasted Clark’s teammates on the Fever for not adequately defending her when she was frequently fouled hard.
Another former NBA player, Austin Rivers, admonishes the WNBA players who are too jealous to see the bigger picture. He believes the league should be happy that Clark has ignited a massive windfall of revenue, attention, and game attendance from the influx of new fans.
A similar sentiment was echoed by Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s flagship show “First Take.”
