'Just trying to get you that 300 million dollars you deserve': Shaq clashes with WNBA players over lowering the rim for women



Shaquille O'Neal is trying to convince WNBA players that lowering the height of the rim is the best thing for women's basketball.

O'Neal was responding to Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson, who made comments on the "Roommates Show," a podcast featuring NBA players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and host Matt Hillman.

Hart began the segment by asking the WNBA player what was the boldest piece of unsolicited advice she had ever received.

Wilson bluntly stated her entire feed and social media replies contain "that kind of advice."

Seemingly unpleased with the online reactions, Wilson said to viewers, "Who asked you?"

Hillman then sparked the ubiquitous debate about lowering the rim for WNBA players, and although he did not specify by how much, most debates suggest anywhere from three inches to an entire foot.

Wilson completely disregarded any legitimacy to the argument.

"What is it really going to do for us?" she asked. "I would much rather just gear my offseason to, 'OK, vertical, maxing it out, let's focus on this jumping,'" she told the hosts.

"Versus lowering it an inch? That could change all of our shots. Do y'all not understand that?"

The Aces player did not seem to think that adding dunking to the women's game is what audiences are looking for, warning that if she dunks in 2025, she better get a good reaction.

"You never know, next year I might dunk ... y'all better go crazy," she joked.

Wilson finished the segment by claiming, "Lowering the rim is just a very childish discussion."

However, at least one NBA legend disagreed. Days later, Shaq turned to his Instagram page to directly address Wilson's claims.

"60% of the fan[s] said Dunking [is] their favorite thing," O'Neal wrote. "The WNBA has none of that. So they make much less money. Just trying to get you that 300 million dollars you deserve," he added, before directly tagging Wilson's profile.

WNBA legend Candace Parker replied to O'Neal's post with "goodbye Shaq," with O'Neal saying in response that ratings would "go through the roof" if dunking was added to the WNBA All-Star Game.

'People always disrespect women regardless.'

This isn't the first time O'Neal has suggested the height change, either. In October, the former Laker told WNBA player Angel Reese the women's rim should be lowered by a few inches.

Reese immediately replied with, "I hate when men say that."

Shaq then detailed the similarities between the two leagues but noted, "The only thing that's missing is the dunk."

Reese was not having the argument, however, and according to the Daily Mail, turned the discussion into a debate about sexism.

"People always disrespect women regardless. [They're] always not gonna give us the same value as a man."

While the debate subject seems to anger at least some of the WNBA's most notable players, the key factor in the suggestion is figuring out how to generate more excitement for the league and, therefore, more revenue.

Even after its biggest season, the WNBA was estimated to have lost around $50 million, much more than it typically loses in a year. Many of the league's players also seem unwilling to address the reality of their league being subsidized and that includes Wilson.

On the same podcast, Wilson blamed investors for not putting in enough money to help the league grow.

"If no one's willing to invest, and like, truly invest, not just talk the talk but walk the walk as well, you're never going to grow."

She said the conversation players around her are continuously having is about finding investors who are going to "put their money where their mouth is," instead of the typical platitudes and feigned interest.

Unfortunately for Wilson, disregarding suggestions, making demands, and playing identity politics while not generating revenue are exactly the types of things that result in undedicated investors.

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NBA star fined $100K for jokingly saying 'no homo' during postgame interview — league calls remark 'offensive'



Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball was swiftly fined by the NBA for making a joke during a postgame interview that the league deemed "derogatory."

After a 115-114 nail-biting victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on November 16, Ball was asked for his comments on the final play of the game.

"What did you see right here when Giannis [Antetokounmpo] took that shot and everyone was underneath the basket for that rebound?" a reporter asked the 23-year-old.

After confirming what the reporter said, Ball responded with his $100,000 answer.

"We loaded up — no homo — that's what we wanted. Put the hand up and then live with the results," the point guard replied.

It didn't take long for NBA officials to push out a press release calling Ball's joke "offensive" and slapping him with the whopping fine.

"Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been fined $100,000 for making an offensive and derogatory comment in a postgame interview, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations," the league wrote.

— (@)

'... I don't discriminate.'

The next day, head coach Charles Lee said the organization "obviously" does not condone Ball's language.

"Our standards and what is required of our players in our environment that we create is really important to us," the coach claimed during a press conference. "I spoke to Melo and he's obviously very apologetic from what I've seen since I've been around him. He loves everyone and he's a joy to have around in the facility, and that's not typically how he operates."

The coach added that his star player now knows "what's going to be expected of him" and claimed Ball wants to "be better" going forward.

According to TMZ, Ball told journalists following Sunday's 128-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers that he "really didn't mean anything" by the remark and that he doesn't "want to offend anybody."

"I've got love for everybody ... and I don't discriminate," Ball reportedly added.

The fifth-year player is averaging 29.7 points per game in 2024-2025 and is in the first year of a five-year contract extension that has him averaging over $40 million per season.

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'Thankful there wasn't any voting fraud this time': Coach Steve Kerr gives sarcastic pro-MAGA response to Trump victory



Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr lampooned Donald Trump in response to the Republican's election victory, using both inflammatory and positive language.

Kerr has been a staunch supporter of Kamala Harris leading up to the presidential election and was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the Republican landslide after the results came in.

"I believe in democracy. I think the American people have spoken and voted for Trump. I want him to do well the next four years. I want our country to do well."

Anthony Slater, a sports reporter who posted Kerr's remarks, noted the coach's tone shifted to sarcasm as he began to recite a hyperbolic version of Trump's position following the 2020 election results.

"I'm just thankful there wasn't any voting fraud this time. Last time, all those illegal immigrants who crashed the border, raped and murdered people and then voted six times, that was unfortunate," Kerr described.

The coach then claimed that Trump only believed there was election fraud in the previous election because he lost, stating "thankfully this time everything was clean."

"It's great that every election has been really valid except for that last one four years ago," Kerr added, before pointing to a "twinkle" in his eye to note his sarcasm.

Kerr then switched from dramatic to positive though, saying he believes in democracy and "the will of the people."

The 59-year-old pledged to support the country and government; "I want nothing but the best for us," he said.

"Between wars abroad, global economy that has shifted everything, in terms of what it means for our citizens and their day to day lives. I'm well aware that I live in a bubble and I'm one of the luckiest people on earth. So I want what's best for us. I hope Trump can deliver that."

'Let's make America great again and beat the Celtics.'

In a video posted to X, Kerr was asked if he spoke with his team in order to reset their minds following the election results.

The coach's reply was downright laughable.

"I just told them in our meeting this morning 'Let's make America great again and beat the Celtics.'"

Steph Curry and Steve Kerr both endorsed Kamala Harris.Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Kerr and superstar guard Steph Curry had been openly endorsing Harris since at least the 2024 Olympic games in Paris.

In July, Curry claimed Harris was "primed to bring her energy" to the presidential campaign.

Curry pushed much of the same messaging that the Harris campaign itself did: positive energy and good vibes.

"For her in this moment, knowing what's ahead, it’s all about positive energy and optimism knowing how divided our country is right now," Curry said while in Paris.

At the same time, both Kerr and Curry have consistently remained positive even when their politics were clearly at odds with the news cycle.

The coach and player both expressed concern over the attempted assassination of Trump in July and said they hoped for the best for the United States.

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Numbers don't lie: The WNBA owes Caitlin Clark big-time



Caitlin Clark’s rookie season with the Indiana Fever was unlike any other the WNBA has ever seen. Fans — many of whom had never seen a WNBA game before — came out in droves to support her as she became a household name.

As Clark drummed up support from record numbers of ticket-holders, she drew a large number of flagrant fouls and consistent criticism from other coaches and players in the WNBA.

Still, what Clark did for the league cannot be denied, and the numbers prove that number 22 was a monstrous needle-mover.

From the outset, Clark became a traveling spectacle. She garnered a sold-out crowd in her pro debut against the Connecticut Sun at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

In fact, when compared to the following home game, Clark sent ticket prices skyrocketing. The cheapest seats available for Clark’s debut were $74, compared to $13 for the next game, which did not feature Clark.

This began what was known as the Caitlin Clark effect, and ticket prices soon reflected that.

At the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, prices increased by 300% when Clark rolled into town, from $21 to $84.

Seattle saw a 169% jump, while Las Vegas saw the most insane increase of all. The difference between prices at an Aces game before and after Clark was a whopping 2,200%: $92 versus just $4 to get into the building.

Clark affected ticket prices so much in her first month that any game that showcased her skills averaged a minimum $74 ticket price. On average, teams charged just $21.80 for the next home game; that’s a league-wide increase of 241%.

Attendance

Increased tickets prices were caused by increased attendance, with Clark completely flipping the league upside down.

By her second month, she was already doubling attendance at WNBA games. An analysis done after the first weekend of June showed that Clark played in two games with an average of 17,335 attendees. Seven other games were played that weekend without Clark, and those averaged just 7,009 fans.

The Clark effect was so unstoppable that it eventually spread throughout the league like a fever.

According to stats tracker Across the Timeline, attendance was affected across the board in terms of league averages, attendance highs, and season totals. In 2024, six teams averaged over 10,000 fans per game versus zero teams that accomplished that feat in 2023. Six teams averaged higher attendance in 2024 than the highest-selling team from 2023, as well. Some teams, like the Atlanta Dream, increased their average attendance by more than 1,700 fans per game. Additionally, only one WNBA team averaged fewer than 5,000 fans per game in 2024 versus four in 2023.

In season totals, Clark’s Indiana Fever had monstrous attendance. The team quadrupled its total attendance, increasing from 81,336 in 2023 to 340,715 in 2024. This had a trickle-down effect, resulting in eight teams having a higher total season attendance than the No. 1 team did in 2023. Two more teams barely missed beating the top team from 2023, marking an amazing turnaround for the league in total turnout.

In one of her many record-setting nights, Clark played in the most attended game in WNBA history against the Washington Mystics. The September 19 game drew in 20,711 audience members. In 2023, the most attended game was 17,406.

Clark even broke that 2023 attendance record in June simply by existing. When Clark's Fever visited the Atlanta Dream, demand for the tickets was so high that the game was moved to Phillips Arena in Atlanta, home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. The Dream’s typical venue at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, has a capacity of only 3,500. This broke the Dream’s attendance record, shattering the team's inaugural game attendance of 11,609 in 2008, while simultaneously eclipsing the most attended WNBA game in 2023.

Viewership

Through the first weekend of June, WNBA games that featured Clark had an average of 1.099 million viewers. On the flip side, games without Clark averaged only 414,000 viewers.

Clark had already played in the most watched WNBA game in 23 years by this point, which had 2.13 million viewers on ESPN2.

She went on to eclipse that number four times throughout the season, breaking the single-game viewership record (2.45 million) held since Memorial Day 2001.

Her record-setting game garnered 2.54 million viewers on September 25 for a playoff game against the Connecticut Sun.

Showcasing how much Clark’s presence mattered for television viewers, ratings immediately dropped when the Fever were eliminated from the playoffs.

The first game of the next playoff round featuring the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces brought in just 929,000 viewers on September 29, despite it being a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals. Concurrently, the first game of the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun semifinal had about 650,000 viewers.

Clark’s first playoff game beat out both of those games combined with an average viewership of 1.84 million. In fact, the top 16 most viewed WNBA games of 2024 all featured Clark on the marquee; each of them had over 1.3 million viewers.

Only four games without Clark on the screen were able to break the million-viewer mark. Still, all WNBA cable affiliates saw massive growth in 2024 thanks to her popularity.

As ratings outlet Sportsnaut noted, broadcast partners likely had their collective minds blown over the numbers they averaged. ESPN had an average of 1.2 million viewers for WNBA games, a reported 170% increase over 2023 (454,000).

On the ION network, games had a 133% ratings increase over 2023, with seven broadcasts averaging over 1 million viewers.

The league’s 23 total games reached more than 1 million viewers in a season, also a record.

As for the playoffs, the Liberty-Aces playoff game was still the most watched WNBA semifinal in the last 22 years despite falling short of Clark’s first-round numbers.

The complaints

The 2024 NBA season not only made Clark a household name but elevated the status of many other players. Unfortunately, many of those players became known for negative reactions to their newfound stardom.

More viewership apparently came with more expectations from the athletes, as they quickly began demanding some of the same luxuries afforded to Clark and her record-setting team.

Upon the season’s start, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese complained to the internet about her team not having a luxury private jet. nReese posted a photo with text that said, "Just praying that this is one of the last commercial flights the Chicago Sky has to fly."

Then below, she wrote "practicing gratitude & patience as the league introduces charter flights for all teams."

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham vocalized her displeasure just a week later, stating that her team’s charter flight wasn’t big enough to fit all the players’ desired luggage.

"Our bags and some of our people can't fly with us because our charter is too small. While other teams get big planes. We want to talk about competitive advantage. Well, that's one right there."

The players appeared to have a belief in equity in their sport, despite Clark having millions in endorsements and her Indiana Fever increasing attendance and viewership at all her games.

This marketing disparity certainly took its toll on other players, who quickly began coming up with reasons for Clark’s popularity. Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson remarked that Clark’s endorsements were largely due to her race, calling it a "huge" factor in her popularity.

"It really is because you can be top-notch at what you are as a black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don't want to see," Wilson theorized.

Wilson went on to claim that black women aren't seen as marketable and, despite what they may accomplish, are still ignored.

That theory was completely destroyed when Wilson was signed to a signature shoe deal by Nike. She also signed a deal with Gatorade the same week; she couldn’t claim they were reactionary moves, because the deals were signed before her interview was even published.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink took a different approach to the popularity issue, seemingly shooting herself in the foot weeks later. While attempting to claim that race was a factor in the popularity of WNBA players, Brink inadvertently called her teammates too ugly to be marketed.

"I will acknowledge there's a privilege for the younger white players of the league. That's not always true, but there is a privilege that we have inherently, and the privilege of appearing feminine. Some of my teammates are more masculine," Brink claimed. "Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns," she stumbled.

The 6’4" player then blamed herself for dressing "femininely" and said that other players should be popular despite appearing manlier.

"I want to bring more acceptance to [masculine women, pronoun users] and not just have people support us because of the way that we look. I know I can feed into that because I like to dress femininely, but that's just me. I want everyone to be accepted — not just paid attention to because of how they look."

The future

There’s no denying that Clark has opened many doors for her colleagues. Whether it’s through pure attention or luxuries that her teammates enjoy, she has elevated the league’s status significantly.

For example, the Las Vegas Aces players were awarded $100,000 sponsorships for seemingly no reason. The team has several popular players — nowhere near as popular as Clark — and finished fourth in the standings. However, the city of Las Vegas saw it fit to award the women with sponsorship deals void of any real requirements.

The terms of the deal put forth by the city were simple: "Just play" and "rep Vegas."

The players laughed their way to $200,000 over two years. This simply wouldn’t have been possible without Clark; nor would the privilege exist to balk at press opportunities. Before Clark, it would have been unheard for WNBA players to purposely avoid media scrums, but that’s exactly what happened in 2024.

WNBA players became so popular that the league changed media availability rules to allow teams to exempt players in certain situations. This was likely seen as a way to keep players like Chicago’s Reese from digging herself too many holes, as she was immediately exempted by her team upon the rule’s inception. Reese was fined in early June for breaking media availability rules.

The name of the game for the WNBA moving forward will have to be managing these personalities. Despite the massive increase in popularity, the league's players and coaches have a huge issue with how they speak about Clark.

WNBA owner Renee Montgomery has called Clark’s fans racist and sexist, while others players have called them overly "sensitive."

Reporters on the inside have taken issue with fans wearing MAGA hats, claiming their presence makes them feel "unsafe" while saying they were "racist" for heckling other players about press-on nails.

With a culture of pushing away new fans, the WNBA managed to turn a monumental year into a $50 million loss, which is five times more than the league typically loses despite being subsidized by the NBA.

Even with all the apparent success, it doesn't seem like the league can be pushed into the black simply through the existence of Clark, while removing gigantic expenses like private planes seems like a move the league wouldn’t dare make.

The WNBA’s best bet is to remind its players that minor league baseball teams, which are actually profitable, are getting paid less — and riding the bus.

NBA player AJ Griffin exits $17M contract to follow Jesus: 'The Lord was calling me'



Third-year NBA player AJ Griffin is giving up professional basketball to serve in ministry full-time.

Just ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season, Griffin announced on his YouTube page that he would be stepping away from basketball after reaching an agreement to be waived by the Houston Rockets.

"I gave up basketball to follow Jesus,” Griffin said. "I know that … it seems like a loss in the world's eyes, but I just want to let you guys know that I'm super excited because I truly get to serve God with my full 'yes.'"

"Letting go of basketball has allowed me to go into full-time ministry and truly serving the Lord with all my heart. With all my time too," Griffin continued.

CBS Sports reported that Griffin agreed to a $250,000 buyout with the Rockets as part of an agreement to let the him sit out for a season while he determined whether or not he would continue playing. He was traded to the Rockets from the Atlanta Hawks over the summer.

'Jesus, he’s the only one that can fulfill you. He’s the only one that can give you purpose.'

According to Spotrac, Griffin signed a four-year, $17.1 million contract with the Hawks in 2022, with an average salary of $4.276 million.

His contract is also listed as fully guaranteed, so it remains unclear whether his contract included clauses that allowed payment if he retired. Sports Illustrated announced that Griffin did "officially" retire.

If that is true, Griffin would not qualify for the NBA pension program, which provides monthly payments for players who have at least three years of service.

"This really has to start off with me giving my life to Christ in 2020," Griffin said in his video. "I truly accepted him back then. He found me. I know we say we find God, but he finds us. … It was the best decision of my life."

Griffin went on saying, “Jesus, he’s the only one that can fulfill you. He’s the only one that can give you purpose. I feel like the Lord was calling me to let go of basketball truly just to serve Him more."

Griffin averaged 7.5 points per game over his 92-game career but only made 20 appearances for the Hawks in 2023-2024.

His points average significantly dropped with 11 fewer minutes played per game.

The 21-year-old said he hoped his video would encourage others not to live in fear of dedicating their lives to God.

"Don't worry about the outside noise. Focus on your personal relationship with Jesus, and everything else will be added."

Griffin is the son of NBA great Adrian Griffin, who played in the league for nine years.

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'They couldn't have f***ed this thing up any worse': Charles Barkley blasts WNBA players for treatment of Caitlin Clark



NBA Hall of Fame member Charles Barkley unloaded on WNBA players for being "petty" toward rookie star Caitlin Clark.

Appearing on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," the former player said that the WNBA, but mostly the players, have handled Clark's rise to fame about as poorly as possible.

"These ladies — and I'm a WNBA fan — they cannot have f***ed this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried," Barkley said in a clip circulating from the podcast.

"If you got a bunch of dudes in a room and said, 'Let's f*** up the WNBA,' we couldn't have come up with a massive plan [better than] what these women have done," Barkley hilariously added.

Barkley continued, commenting on Clark's wide appeal and ability to bring in ratings for the flailing league.

"This girl is incredible. The [amount] of attention, eyeballs she's brought to college and the pros ... and for these women to have this petty jealousness ... you're saying to yourself, 'damn, what is going on here?'"

'There's been so much negativity, and a lot of it is just petty jealousness.'

Clark made headlines in June 2024 when data revealed she had been tripling the league's average viewership when she played and was doubling the average attendance at arenas where she competed.

Still, it seems the league has fumbled its opportunities and is still likely to lose upwards of $50 million dollars for the season, Blaze News previously reported.

"The thing I love about [Clarke], she never says a word," Barkley went on. "But these ladies, who I love and respect their game, they couldn't have f***ed this thing up any worse."

Barkley's comments come after Clark recorded her second triple-double of the season with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. She was the first WNBA rookie to get a triple-double and only the sixth WNBA player to have multiple. Clark also recently became the first rookie to make 100 three-pointers in a season and the sixth player overall to complete the feat, per CNN.

"There's been so much negativity, and a lot of it is just petty jealousness," Barkley later commented, noting Clark's snub from the Team USA's Olympic roster.

"I tell you what was really good that happened to her – not making the Olympic team. Giving her that time off has given her a chance to recharge her batteries."

Barkley has called out WNBA players for being "petty" toward Clark before, as well. In May 2024, he insulted the women of the league for not being grateful about getting private jets, which he said was thanks to Clark:

"You women out there, y'all petty, man! ... Y'all should be thanking that girl for gettin' y'all ass private charters, all the money and visibility she's bringing to the WNBA."

The WNBA playoffs kick off in late September; Clark's Indiana Fever have clinched a playoff spot.

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WNBA player sues league, former team for discrimination and retaliation after she told them she was pregnant



Three-time WNBA All-Star, WNBA champion, and Olympic medalist Dearica Hamby has sued the WNBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, alleging she was discriminated against after she revealed she was pregnant.

Hamby said in a lawsuit that after she publicly announced that she was pregnant with her second child, she "experienced notable changes in the way she was treated by Las Vegas Aces staff."

The lawsuit claimed that when Hamby had re-signed with the Aces, the team agreed to certain stipulations that included covering the private school tuition costs of Hamby's daughter, by way of a "donation" to the child's school.

As well, the team allegedly agreed to allow Hamby to use team-provided housing accommodations.

'Every potential mother in the league is now on notice that childbirth could change their career prospects overnight.'

Hamby's lawsuit alleged that the team, its general manager, and president beat around the bush in terms of the donation and told Hamby they were "working on it."

Hamby also alleged that she was told to vacate the team-provided housing without reason.

The basketball star also claimed that Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon accused her on a phone call of "not taking proper precautions not to get pregnant."

The coach also allegedly questioned the player's "commitment and dedication to the team" and labeled her as a "question mark" on the squad.

Other accusations allegedly included that Hamby knew she was pregnant when she signed her new contract and that the staff felt she would get pregnant a third time.

The WNBA itself responded to the lawsuit by simply saying, "We are aware of today's legal filing and are reviewing the complaint."

WNBA Players Association executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson responded to the lawsuit as well and assured the public that "becoming a parent" does not mean the end of a WNBA player's career.

"Obviously, these protections did not change the nature of this business. Any team can trade any player for any legitimate reason or no reason at all. But that reason can never be on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, parental status, or pregnancy status."

— (@)

About six months after her contract extension, Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Coach Hammon said months after the trade that the decision to move Hamby was made to "get three bodies in her one contract, and we wanted to get three more people in."

"I think it's very evident [by] who we signed on why we made the move," she added, according to the Associated Press.

The comments came as questions arose surrounding the reason Hamby was traded and whether or not it stemmed from her pregnancy. In fact, the WNBA suspended Hammon in May 2023 for two games after Hamby claimed she had been bullied and manipulated due to her pregnancy, the AP also said.

The WNBA did not disclose the details about the suspension but said Hammon did violate league and team policies related to "respect in the workplace."

Hamby's attorney, however, claimed that the Aces "exiled" Hamby for "becoming pregnant and the WNBA responded with a light tap on the wrist."

"Every potential mother in the league is now on notice that childbirth could change their career prospects overnight. That can't be right in one of the most prosperous and dynamic women's professional sports leagues in America," the attorney added.

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Caitlin Clark reveals she's a huge NASCAR fan after she's featured in paint scheme for Brickyard 400



Women's basketball superstar Caitlin Clark said that she was a big NASCAR fan as a child ahead of appearing on the hood of a race car for the Brickyard 400.

Clark was featured on Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, driven by Josh Berry. The hood showed Clark in her college jersey from Iowa, along with the Donruss trading cards logo and the text "Raining 3s." The car was sponsored by Panini Trading Cards.

"I was like, 'Oh my gosh! Is this real?!'" Clark said, according to WNDY. "I want to drive the car. So sometime maybe I have to take a spin, but it's super cool. … Hopefully it brings good vibes and we get the W."

'The amount of reach and popularity she's gained over the last couple years has been really amazing to watch.'

The WNBA player then said she was a fan of the sport growing up, indicating that her mother was involved in the racing league in some way.

"Honestly, I grew up watching NASCAR. My mom was kind of involved in it. So I was a really big fan growing up. It's super cool."

It is unclear how Clark's mother was involved with NASCAR, if it all; however, Sporting News reported that she was the vice president of product marketing at American Enterprise Group Inc.

Stewart-Haas driver Berry called it a "great opportunity" to have Clark's image on the hood of the car.

"The amount of reach and popularity she's gained over the last couple years has been really amazing to watch and just how it's kind of transcended women's basketball. Obviously, being a girl dad, you don’t necessarily put the two together right now, but as she grows older I'm sure it will be a pretty cool thing to look back on as she continues her career." he added.

Unfortunately, Berry's No. 4 car finished 35th, completing just 63 laps before getting into a crash that sent him to the infield medical center. He was reportedly evaluated and released.

— (@)

Clark and and the racing team will partner again in August 2024 when the hood will be donated to an auction to raise money for the Matt Alexander Memorial Baseball Scholarship Fund. The fund honors a baseball player who was shot during a mass shooting in 2021 at a FedEx facility.

The fund annually awards a high school senior baseball player $1,600 to further his education.

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WNBA changes media policy — Angel Reese immediately receives exemption from media availability



The WNBA changed its media policy to allow teams to exempt players from media availability in certain situations.

All players were previously obligated to speak with journalists after morning shootaround sessions several hours before their game. However, it has been reported that teams are now allowed to exempt two players from media availability at that time.

Chicago sports reporter Josh Frydman noted on X that WNBA team Chicago Sky noted that they would immediately use the new rule to exempt star rookie Angel Reese along with Brazilian Kamilla Cardoso.

"The Sky weekly media availability comes with this note: 'Per a change in the WNBA Media Season Access policy, two players from each team can be exempt from all shootaround media availabilities. Angel Reese & Kamilla Cardoso are exempt.'"

Frydman later clarified that the players are still available before the game.

"Reese and Cardoso are exempt from game day shootaround interviews, but can still be made available pregame on the court (usually 90 minutes before tip)."

— (@)

'I know how y'all like to twist my words ... I can't trust any of y'all.'

Reese was fined in early June 2024 for breaking media availability rules. She was supposed to be available to in-person media outside the locker room, according to CBS, and was likely avoiding questions surrounding her team's aggressive play toward the league's new superstar Caitlin Clark.

Fellow Sky player Chennedy Carter was also being asked repeatedly about a flagrant foul she committed on Clark:

"It happened ... it's over with, I don't know why we're dragging it," Carter said at a June 3 press conference.

That foul was seen as heinous by fans, even resulting in Republican Congressman Jim Banks sending a letter to the commissioner of the WNBA asking what steps the league was taking to curb "excessive physical targeting" of players.

Later that same month, Reese told media members that she didn't trust reporters.

"I know how y'all like to twist my words, so I'm just keeping it short and sweet," Reese said, according to Outkick. "I can't trust any of y'all, so I'm just letting you know — short and sweet," she added..

Clark has faced consistent pushes from media members during shootaround to condemn racism and misogyny, and she simply stated that she didn't like the idea of anyone using her name to push narratives.

Other players have theorized that young white women in the league receive more positive attention because they are more "feminine."

The Mirror noted that while a WNBA official confirmed "pregame and postgame media availability stays the same," the pregame interviews are usually in group situations as opposed to one-on-one.

The outlet also reported that it has experienced inconsistent implementation of pregame media accessibility guidelines when players who were allegedly set to appear for media questions did not show up.

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'I saw it over and over': Scottie Pippen claims scorekeepers gave Michael Jordan stats he didn't actually earn



Hall of Fame basketball player Scottie Pippen said in his memoir that scorekeepers incorrectly attributed statistics to Michael Jordan, often taking away from his own statistical totals.

The 58-year-old won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls alongside Jordan in the 1990s and was a threat on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

In his memoir, titled "Unguarded," Pippen alluded to the idea that Jordan manipulated scorekeepers into wanting to doctor statistics in his favor.

"Michael was better at getting people to do whatever he wanted," Pippin reportedly wrote in an excerpt. "I saw it over and over, from the first training camp in 1987 to the last victory rally in 1998. Here's how it worked: Say I deflected the ball and tapped it over to him. I should get credit with the steal, right? Nope. More often than not, the steal went into his column on the stat sheet, and I could do nothing about it," Pippen claimed, according to Bounding into Sports.

'He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1. He's shooting bad shots.'

Pippen recalled a time an official scorekeeper came into the locker room after a game and informed Jordan that he needn't worry and that they would "take care of" him.

"One night, a scorekeeper came into the locker room after the game to hand the stat sheets to Phil Jackson and the coaching staff. The sheet breaks down the points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocked shots, turnovers, and so on for everyone who played the game. I couldn't believe the look the guy gave Michael: 'See, MJ, we take care of you.' No wonder in the nine full seasons we played together, he averaged more steals than me in every year except two."

Jordan led the NBA in steals per game twice, in 1987-1988 and then again in the 1992-1993 season.

Pippen led the league once in 1994-1995.

Tension has grown between the former teammates over the years, with comments from Pippen becoming increasingly sour:

"He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1. He's shooting bad shots," Pippen said in 2023 about the start of Jordan's career. "All of a sudden, we become a team and we start winning. Everybody forgot who he was. He was a player that, really, winning wasn't at the top of his category. It was scoring."

It was also no secret that Jordan's son, 33-year-old Marcus, dated Pippen's 49-year-old ex-wife Larsa for several years. The pair allegedly broke up in early 2024.

"What's wrong with this guy? I guess he has a book to sell," commentator Eric Butler told Blaze News. "What's weirder is that Pippen's ex-wife was dating Jordan's son. The whole relationship between the two is strange, right down to Pippen claiming Michael wasn't as good as everyone thinks, which is obviously not true," Butler added.

Pippen was a seven-time NBA All-Star and had his number 33 retired by the Chicago Bulls in 2005.

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