The WNBPA Should Be Ashamed Of Its Vindictive Response to Reporter
All season long, any WNBA news involving Caitlin Clark has been destined to generate a lightning rod of controversy. That was the case again this week when Clark was poked in the eye during a playoff game by Dijonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun.
Christine Brennan, a reporter for USA Today with a highly respected profile and more than 40 years of experience in sports journalism, then questioned Carrington about the incident. This, apparently, was crossing a line in the eyes of the WNBA player establishment.
Everything about the WNBPA's statement on Brennan reads as self-righteous, entitled, and downright vindictive. Given the league's open animosity towards Clark, this should be no surprise. From day one, opposing players, coaches, and media figures have degraded and harassed her while simultaneously playing the victim.
No matter what has happened, there has always been an excuse for Clark's antagonists to avoid accountability, and it is clear where the league's powers stand. It may only be a select few individuals actively antagonizing her, but the rest of the WNBA has enabled it. Whether Angel Reese, Sheryl Swoopes, or now Carrington, the league has taken much more issue with fan and media criticism of Clark's rivals than with the way those rivals have treated her.
It is worth noting that much of the discourse in defense of Clark has been no better, particularly in regard to those playing the racial card on her behalf. Race may play a role in the Clark dilemma, but the biggest reason for the bitterness against her is clearly due to a fear that her unprecedented skill and popularity will dwarf the rest of the league. No matter the explanation, though, a narrative has emerged that Clark's supporters only praise her to push a divisive agenda, and with some media figures, there is truth to that.
Brennan is not that type of person, though -- she is a journalist simply doing her job, and the only divisive agenda being pushed here is the one by the WNBPA. If Brennan "knew what she was doing," then so did they. It's no secret that being considered racist is the single most damaging blow one's reputation can take in society today, and the intention behind the WNBPA's statement was to do exactly that. To echo their own words, they're not fooling anyone.
It's especially disappointing given that America already has enough of a problem when it comes to trusting journalists. In recent years, a certain culture has emerged in which it is actively encouraged to demonize the free press and label any report that challenges predetermined beliefs as "fake news." This is the type of childish behavior that the rest of society should aim to rise above—not to mimic under a different justification.
In short, the WNBPA is not upset with Brennan because they believe her question was unfair. They are upset because they believe they're entitled to be immune from such questioning. Their statement is a baseless attack on the character of someone as decorated as any woman has ever been in her field, while furthermore an attack on one of our country's most foundational freedoms. It's a shameful display of outright narcissism, and it is high time that these victim-playing charades are called what they are: B.S.