Blaze News original: Top 5 insane quotes from the WNBA's biggest — and weirdest — season ever



The WNBA has wrapped up its most notable season since its inception, breaking multiple viewership records while increasing attendance across the league.

The rookie season of Caitlin Clark saw ticket prices skyrocket wherever she played, with games even having to change locations to accommodate the fans who wanted to see her.

'I'm speaking on a particular group that is motivated by hate and destruction.'

But with more eyeballs came far more scrutiny of — and pressure on — the players. Not only did many players buckle under their newfound fame but so did owners and reporters.

What resulted from this historic season wasn't a showering of praise on the league's new fans or an increased appreciation for the sport but rather a historic series of blunders.

5. WNBA owner calls Clark fans 'racist'

Typically, sports franchise owners want to pull fans into arenas, not alienate them. That note seemingly didn't make its way to the desk of Renee Montgomery, former WNBA star and part owner of the Atlanta Dream.

Not only did Montgomery claim there was a prevalence of "bots" and "faux fans" within Clark's massive online following, but also the owner doubted that the new star's fans even watched her games.

"I'm speaking on a particular group that is motivated by hate and destruction," Montgomery said in a clip she posted to X.

"I like when our fans are so engaged and so passionate that they just don't like the other team. But being racist, sexist, and violent with your words — come on now, what are we doing? ... That's not acceptable," she added.

For some reason, the owner even brought Boston Celtics fans into the mix and accused them of "racist treatment of players."

The Dream finished 15-25 and were swept in the playoffs. Karma?

4. Reporter says a single MAGA hat made a WNBA game 'unsafe'

It wasn't enough in the 2024 season simply not to be a fan of Clark. Any connection to conservative politics that possibly could have been made was made — and then connected to some form of hatred.

Take WNBA writer Frankie de la Cretaz. The "they/them" journalist attended Game 2 of the playoff series between Clark's Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun.

De la Cretaz's reporting included citing the game's "vibe" as "horrendous" while also claiming she and her "partner" told off a "racist" fan sitting behind them. The fan's crime was daring to mock one of the Sun players for wearing fake eyelashes on the court.

The writer was even more outraged by "a man in a MAGA hat" and a woman wearing a "ban nails" shirt. The fan also sported props of giant fingernails on her hands.

When all was said and done, de la Cretaz said she'd be writing a scathing review about her horrible experience before adding, "I've never felt unsafe at a WNBA game & tonight I did."

3. Players complain their private planes are too small

After Clark was photographed on a luxury private flight — likely due to her being responsible for the massive attention the league was getting — players began demanding similar amenities.

Did they take their issues to WNBA brass and ownership? Of course not. Instead they took to their social media pages and press interviews.

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese was the first to complain, posting a photo of herself seemingly embarrassed to be on a commercial flight.

On her Instagram story, Reese showed herself in sunglasses and a paper mask with the caption: "Just praying that this is one of the last commercial flights the Chicago Sky has to fly." A second caption read, "Practicing gratitude & patience as the league introduces charter flights for all teams."

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham went about her request far more arrogantly, saying, "Butterflies and rainbows now that we got the charters" before adding that the private planes weren't big enough.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

"We are so grateful to be able to start chartering, but with that, there's a lot of things that need to be adjusted," she said during an interview. "Our bags and some of our people can't fly with us because our charter is too small. While other teams get big planes."

Cunningham seems to be unaware that while the league is losing a reported $50 million in 2024, its private plane program is responsible for half that debt at $25 million.

2. A'ja Wilson claims black players don't get endorsements — and is immediately proven wrong

In what may have been a cruel joke by a reporter, Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson made wild, racially charged accusations, only to be immediately proven wrong.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Wilson claimed that race has played a "huge" role in Clark's popularity while adding that black women aren't seen as marketable and, despite what they may accomplish, are still ignored.

"It doesn't matter what we all do as black women; we're still going to be swept underneath the rug," Wilson argued.

To the surprise of very few, Wilson's claims were completely destroyed before they were even published.

A week before the interview went public, Wilson signed a deal with Gatorade. Then, on May 11, Wilson and Nike announced that she would be endorsed and given her own signature shoe.

On May 12, Wilson's interview with the Associated Press was published, leaving egg all over her face.

Wilson called it a "dream" of hers to be able to work with such an iconic brand as Nike, but she failed to mention anything about being unmarketable due to her race.

1. Cameron Brink accidentally calls her teammates ugly

The most jaw-dropping quote of the season came from the right place — that is, if you believe woke culture and social justice are forces for good.

When Cameron Brink gave an interview about "tired narratives," she focused on the idea of breaking stereotypes and tropes. However, the 22-year-old actually just ended up calling her teammates ugly and manly.

'Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns.'

In an attempt to spew woke dogma, Brink initially went with race as a factor in popularity: "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."

Your browser does not support the video tag. Video by Dave Tolley/Getty Images

After stating there is pressure for women to appear womanly, Brink attempted to explain why her more "masculine" teammates should be more popular despite their looks.

"Some of my teammates are more masculine. Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns," she said. "I want to bring more acceptance to that 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."

Brink has since continued to dress like a woman.

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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.

'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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Jason Whitlock DESTROYS Joy Reid and Jemele Hill for Caitlin Clark HATE



MSNBC’s Joy Reid and fellow race-baiter Jemele Hill — whom Jason Whitlock calls "two delusional black queens" — made some recent comments about WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.

Of course, these comments were as bigoted as they consistently claim others to be.

“Somebody very smart said to me recently that the challenge with women’s basketball is that most of the great players are black, but most of the stars are white,” Reid said to Hill. “And like you said, if there were charter flights, Britney Griner would not have ended up in the gulag, right?”

Whitlock is not a fan.

Not only does he note that Reid ridiculously blamed Griner’s arrest on the WNBA not having charter flights, but that both Reid and Hill are “trying desperately to look like white women.”

“Why do I bring this up? Because when I talk about bigotry over business, the bigotry and the hostility stems from [the fact that] these women hate themselves and hate that they’re not white women,” Whitlock says. “Why else would you put on some cheap wig, some horse's hair, over the top of your head to look like a white woman?”

"They're so full of jealousy and rage towards white women. Anybody that would hop on TV day after day with these ridiculous wigs on is telling you everything you need to know about their mentality as it relates to white women," he adds.

Reid then brought up the “marketability” of Caitlin Clark.

“This is a league that is largely, as you said, black women. It’s also largely LGBTQ. She’s a white, heterosexual woman. And so, if you’re trying to get white dads to go spend their money and buy season tickets, she seems like a marketing opportunity. How much of it is that?” Reid asks Hill.

“I don’t know why people find that to be controversial,” Hill answers, noting that while Clark is talented, “it helps that she’s white, straight, and from Iowa.”

“So, when you say that Caitlin Clark’s whiteness and the fact that she’s straight plays a role, underlining a role, in her popularity, that’s not a diss to Caitlin Clark. It’s just simply America,” she adds.

Again, Whitlock finds it interesting that while discussing Clark’s marketability due to the color of her skin, both Hill and Reid have altered their appearance to seem more white. Both of them have significantly lightened their hair to appear blonde.

“Here’s two black women, dressed as white women to be more marketable on TV. This is just facts,” Whitlock comments.


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'Once in a lifetime player': Miami basketball stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder praise Caitlin Clark as haters seethe



Twin basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder praised WNBA star Caitlin Clark as a generational player, going against the grain as WNBA players and critics attempt to bury Clark in controversy.

The basketball sisters recently announced they would play a fifth and final NCAA season with the Miami Hurricanes, and despite it being popular to downplay Clark's popularity, the Cavinders remarked that she is growing the footprint of the sport worldwide.

"What she's done for the game over the last year is insanely good for women's basketball and just the viewership and the revenue. People are way more intrigued by it," Haley said.

The 22-year-old added that Clark's absence from college basketball will likely leave a void.

"You could tell by the March Madness, the viewership compared to the men. So I think what she's done as a whole, everyone will miss her. I mean, she's fun to watch. Everyone wants to watch her," she told Outkick. "I think the game is growing, and I think it's a good sport for the younger generation to look up and being able to just inspire them."

"I think she's a once in a lifetime player," she continued. "She's amazing, and that's why people want to watch, that's what grows the game, the women's game."

"What she's doing for the game is great for women's basketball," Haley concluded.

Clark's popularity is rarely questioned given her ability to inflate ticket prices at any arena she steps foot in, but that hasn't stopped accusations of race-favoritism and consistent complaints from other WNBA players.

Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson claimed that race has played a "huge" role in the popularity of Clark and blamed racism for her lack of endorsement deals (she would later sign with Nike and Gatorade).

"The View" host Sunny Hostin claimed that Clark's fame had a lot to do with her having the "privilege" of being white and pretty.

Other WNBA players like Sophie Cunningham and Angel Reese have joined a caucus of athletes who have complained that their chartered flights aren't as big as Clark's plane when flying with the Indiana Fever.

"We are so grateful to be able to start chartering, but with that, there's a lot of things that need to be adjusted," Cunningham said, adding that players couldn't fit all their bags on the charter.

'There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my Twin sister.'

Any praise Clark has received has typically come from outside her league from the likes of retired players like Charles Barkley or former NFL star Antonio Brown, for example.

"You women out there, y'all petty, man! Hey, LeBron, you are 100% right on these girls hatin' on Caitlin Clark. Y'all petty girls!" Barkley said on TNT. "I expect men to be petty 'cause we're the most insecure group in the world. 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. Don't be petty like dudes!"

NFL champion Brown had similar sentiments when he spoke to BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock.

"I love Caitlin Clark," Brown told Whitlock. "She's one of the best athletes in woman sports right now. She's one of the best."

The Cavinders are stars in their own right and are already noted to be millionaires from their numerous endorsements. Their popularity off the court has helped them achieve what was never possible before the NCAA allowed its athletes to profit off their likeness.

After initially retiring from basketball, Haley had announced in November 2023 that she would be joining Texas Christian University in the 2024 season.

However, after sister Hanna announced her return to Miami University, Haley decided to join her.

"There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my Twin sister. Being presented the opportunity to play together one more time is something i cannot pass up," she said in a statement.

"We'll continue to grow, and continue to do our part [to grow the sport]," she explained to Outkick.

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Antonio Brown says he loves Caitlin Clark, warns Angel Reese not to date him: 'I'd ruin her career'



Antonio Brown showered praises on new WNBA stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, stating that despite his comments online, he loves Clark and wants nothing but success for her and Reese.

The former NFL player spoke about Donald Trump, Joe Biden, the WNBA, and more during a candid sit-down with BlazeTV's Jason Whitlock.

Brown also spoke about his new sports network, CTESPN, but criticized mainstream media in general for writing stories about athletes that lack context.

"The media will often write stories about their perceptions of players. Their perception. And that's not reality. They need guys like me who show people the real authenticity, authenticity of being their true selves," Brown explained. He added that it was important to him show people his vulnerability and help people "deal with traumas and how they can deal with traumas to be better."

The Super Bowl champion was asked why he chose to make comments about WNBA rookie and former college basketball star Clark and what made him target her for "trolling."

"I trolled her, or I brought attention to her?" Brown asked.

"You did something to irritate her," Whitlock clarified. "It created the impression you didn't like Caitlin Clark, but you actually like her."

Whitlock was referring to comments Brown made about Clark keeping it "hairy."

The football player would later double down on his remarks despite backlash, but then attended one of Clark's WNBA games to make amends.

"I love Caitlin Clark," Brown replied. "She's one of the best athletes in woman sports right now. She's one of the best. Can we say that? So, I brought positive attention to Caitlin Clark."

"Why did she block you?" Whitlock then asked.

"I don't know why she blocked me. She might have liked me and felt emotional. Like she can't stand me. Maybe I hit a nerve in her. But it's Twitter. You know?" he joked.

When asked to be serious for a moment and even take off his sunglasses, Brown obliged and threw even more praise at Clark.

"Caitlin Clark: We love you. There's no drama here. I'm excited about what you're going to do for women's basketball. You’re an amazing player. I love to watch your game. You bring a lot of excitement and energy."

"For people like me in the media, bringing awareness to you may be the wrong or the right. It's all in positivity, it’s all in fun and games, and continue to be great. Continue to keep focus of being the best athlete you want to be. Continue to lead women's sports, pioneering it the way you want to pioneer in it. I have a daughter. They look up to you, look up to everything you guys are doing," he added.

.@AB84 addressed the beef between he and Caitlin Clark.
— (@)

Whitlock and Brown also discussed Reese, another former NCAA star turned professional player. The two argued over whether or not race has played a part in the media's treatment of Reese in comparison to that of Clark.

"Whatever level of fame that Angel Reese isn't getting — because they're giving it to Caitlin Clark — I would advise Angel Reese, don't worry about it," Whitlock stated.

Brown assert that it's "not about fame" but rather about "opportunity" and the chance to elevate oneself into stardom.

"It's not a wrong, it's not playing victim. It's just stating the truth of the obvious. I mean, it's not to minimize your role and make excuses. I just feel like we as humans, we should have the opportunity to ask for a fair playing ground, and there's nothing wrong with it," he went on.

The wide receiver continued, saying that those who have it tough don't get to make excuses. You "get through it the right way with God," he said.

"You're gonna come out on the other end, but as a human, we can ask for the normalcy of being treated as a human."

Before the show came to an end, Whitlock asked Brown about his level of interest in Reese.

"Are you a fan of Angel Reese? Or do you like Angel Reese?"

"I'm just a fan of Angel Reese," Brown smirked. "Angel Reese is a young, talented girl. She don't need to deal with AB," Brown said, referring to himself. "AB got a lot of drama. I'm just excited for her success; I want her to have a good career."

"You would mess that up?" Whitlock asserted.

"Yeah, I'd blow it up," Brown replied. "I’d ruin her career. ... Angel Reese, you're hot baby. You need to focus on your career. Make as much as you can while you can, stay away from guys like AB because if I touch down, you've got to clear the runway. It might be crazy."

Brown concluded that his antics are actually welcomed in the media and that it can't be denied that people look forward to hearing his comedic takes.

"They looking forward to 'Caitlin Clark is hairy,'" he claimed.

He then went on to take shots at former NFL player and podcast host Shannon Sharpe as well.

This interview will break records \ud83d\ude02\n\n#CTESPN @WhitlockJason
— (@)

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'Not fair nor safe': Ex-WNBA player says solution is needed for transgender athletes besides competing against women



Former WNBA player Val Whiting asked for a new solution for transgender athletes to compete in athletics that doesn't involve their participation in women's sports.

The 52-year-old New Jersey native was a two-time national champion at Stanford University in 1990 and 1992. She went on to play in the first women's professional basketball league in the United States, the American Basketball League, until its closure in 1998. She then played in the WNBA until 2002.

Whiting has a history of making statements surrounding the protection of women's sports, including remarks made following the conclusion of the 2024 women's national championship.

"A lot of my basketball sisters feel differently but trans women do not belong in women’s sports. It’s not fair nor safe for biological women," Whiting wrote on X. "There has to be another solution for trans women to be able to compete athletically besides having them compete against biological women."

A lot of my basketball sisters feel differently but trans women do not belong in women\u2019s sports. It\u2019s not fair nor safe for biological women. There has to be another solution for trans women to be able to compete athletically besides having them compete against biological women.
— (@)

Whiting's comments came on the heels of NCAA champion Coach Dawn Staley saying that transgender athletes should play against women.

Staley said that "if you're a woman, you should play. If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play," she added.

Whiting has been taking a strong position on the topic in recent years.

She has plainly stated that "being pro-women’s sports is not anti-trans" and has supplemented her opinion with her faith.

"I’m Christian. I’m pro life. I believe in 2 genders. Trans women don’t belong in women’s sports. Marriage is between man and woman as God planned it. Drag queens definitely don’t belong in schools," she said in July 2023.

@jjmichaels I\u2019m Christian. I\u2019m pro life. I believe in 2 genders. Trans women don\u2019t belong in women\u2019s sports. Marriage is between man and woman as God planned it. Drag queens definitely don\u2019t belong in schools.
— (@)

Whiting has stood up for women in many competitive settings, including when male chess players were beating women in their competitions.

"Standing up for female athletes is not misogyny or transphobia," Whiting declared. "But permitting males in female spaces and expecting female athletes to be ok with that is misogyny at its best. You have to hate women so much that you disregard their needs and put the needs of a male first."

The International Chess Federation banned men from competing in the women's category in August 2023.

Standing up for female athletes is not misogyny or transphobia. But permitting males in female spaces and expecting female athletes to be ok with that is misogyny at its best. You have to hate women so much that you disregard their needs and put the needs of a male first.
— (@)

The same day as Whiting's latest comments, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics voted unanimously to ban transgender athletes in sports.

While this was applauded by many, some critics argued that a sweeping ban for all sports, both individual and team-based, was not fair to transgender athletes.

Author Katie Barnes claimed on CNN that it remains unclear whether "transgender women have an advantage in all sports at all times," regardless of medical procedures.

"I don't think that scientific literature supports that, at this time," Barnes told host Jake Tapper.

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'If you're a woman, you should play': NCAA champion coach Dawn Staley says transgender athletes should play against women

'If you're a woman, you should play': NCAA champion coach Dawn Staley says transgender athletes should play against women



NCAA women's basketball champion coach Dawn Staley said that she believed that if a person considers himself to be a woman, then he should be able to play against biological women in basketball.

Just days before winning the national championship against an iconic Iowa team, South Carolina coach Staley was asked by a reporter if she believed that men who identify as women should be allowed to play in women's basketball.

"You just talked about what a massive weekend this is for women's basketball, women's sports in general; one of the major issues facing women's sports is the debate/discussion topic about transgender athletes, biological males in women's sports," said Outkick's Dan Zaksheske.

"I was wondering if you could tell me your position on that issue."

"Damn, you got deep on me, didn't you?" Staley began. After a pregnant pause, the coach stated, "I'm on the opinion of, if you're a woman, you should play. If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play. That's my opinion."

"You want me to go deeper?" Staley asked the reporter.

"Do you think transgender women should be able to participate?" Zaksheske specified.

"That's the question you want to ask? I'll give you that. Yes, yes. So, now the barnstorm of people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game, and I'm okay with that. I really am."

Actually would have been totally ok with her declining to answer at that moment. Yes this is an important topic and issue but this will most definitely derail the focus of her team and organization to some degree and magnified by a billion if her answer was no. You can tell she\u2026
— (@)

Clearly, the added controversy of Staley's comments did not get to her team, as South Carolina won the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship by a convincing 87-75.

Many viewers who disagree ideologically with the coach stated they would have been fine with her avoiding the question all together, given the timing.

"Actually would have been totally ok with her declining to answer at that moment," said NBA player Jonathan Isaac. "Yes this is an important topic and issue but this will most definitely derail the focus of her team and organization to some degree and magnified by a billion if her answer was 'no.' You can tell she has the weight of the world on her shoulders as she’s processing. It’s unfortunate but here we are. Tough spot to be in for anyone. Regardless of beliefs," the Orlando Magic player added.

For sure, she was definitely caught off guard. So many people feel like they\u2019d know exactly what to do/say. I know what that feels like so regardless of my differing belief I can empathize with the position she\u2019s in and the mountains of pressure from m other women, society, black\u2026
— (@)

"Any healthy person would conclude men shouldn't be playing women's sports, but at the same time, there's a time and a place to ask these types of questions," sports analyst Gary Sheffield Jr. told Blaze News.

"We can't say Obama divided the country while asking women's coaches questions regarding gender while the sport is at its peak," he added.

Staley is a highly decorated basketball coach, having played at the college level for the University of Virginia as well as in the WNBA from 1999-2006.

Along with coaching for more than 15 years in the NCAA, the 53-year-old won gold as the coach of the women's USA basketball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

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Transgender woman deemed 'ineligible to play elite level basketball' in Australia



Lexi Rodgers, a transgender individual who applied to play women's basketball in Australia, has been deemed ineligible.

"An expert panel convened by Basketball Australia (BA) has determined transgender athlete Lexi Rodgers is ineligible to play elite level basketball, including for the Kilsyth Cobras in the NBL1 South competition this season," Basketball Australia noted in a statement. "BA assesses eligibility of prospective elite level transgender athletes on a 'case-by-case' basis, accounting for and balancing a range of factors, and has implemented this process on behalf of Basketball Victoria in this matter."

Rodgers is hoping to compete in "elite women's basketball" at some point going forward.

"I sought a different outcome from Basketball Australia. I participated fully and in good faith with the process and eligibility criteria. Consistent with the views expressed by so many, I firmly believe I have a place as an athlete in women’s basketball," Rodgers wrote in an Instagram post. "I hope to one day be playing elite women’s basketball in the future and will continue to work on making the sport I love a place for all."

The issue of whether to allow men who identify as women to compete in women's sports has become a point of controversy around the world.

"As we continue to develop our own framework for sub-elite and elite competitions, we understand the need to have a clear process and continual education within all layers of the sport so we can best support players, coaches, clubs, associations and the wider basketball community," Basketball Australia board of directors member Suzy Batkovic said. "I also want to make it clear because it's important, that while this particular application was not approved based on criteria for elite competition, Basketball Australia encourages and promotes inclusivity at community level."

09 | Lexi Rodgers - Under The Surface www.youtube.com

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