Latest news with #ChristineBrennan
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Legendary Women's Tennis Star Tees Off On The WNBA
Legendary Women's Tennis Star Tees Off On The WNBA originally appeared on The Spun. The WNBA has dominated the headlines this week because of a pair of scuffles that broke out during Tuesday's game between the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever. Advertisement Things got really chippy in the third quarter when Jacy Sheldon poked Caitlin Clark in the eye. Clark pushed Sheldon and said a few words to her before getting bumped to the ground by Marina Mabrey. Fast forward to the final minute of regulation, and Fever guard Sophie Cunningham retaliated by committing a really hard foul on Sheldon. She was ejected from the game with only 46.1 seconds remaining. After the initial incident involving Clark and Mabrey occurred, award-winning columnist Christine Brennan ripped the WNBA's officials for not tossing Mabrey out of the game. "The WNBA continues to fail to meet the moment," Brennan wrote on X. "Terrible decision to allow Marina Mabrey to stay in the game. People are watching as never before. And this is what they see?" Advertisement American tennis legend Chris Evert agrees with Brennan's take on the matter. Jun 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) fouls Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half at Gainbridge Ruszkowski-Imagn Images. In fact, Evert took things one step further by saying WNBA players need to realize Clark is the "best thing that ever happened" to the league. "When will these ladies realize, accept, and appreciate @CaitlinClark22 is the best thing that ever happened to women's basketball," Evert replied to Brennan's post. "This is a bad look for the sport and what's happened to sportsmanship?" Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, has received plenty of support from Fever fans this week. Advertisement Although Tuesday night's altercations weren't a good look for the WNBA, it was announced Wednesday that no one will be suspended for their roles in them. The Fever will return to action Thursday evening to face the Golden State Valkyries. We're hoping there aren't any extracurricular activities during that matchup. Related: Petition Started To Ban Caitlin Clark's Teammate From The WNBA Legendary Women's Tennis Star Tees Off On The WNBA first appeared on The Spun on Jun 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top WNBA Coach Faces Criticism After Behavior Toward Caitlin Clark Resurfaces
Top WNBA Coach Faces Criticism After Behavior Toward Caitlin Clark Resurfaces originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have booked their spot in the Commissioner's Cup Final after their impressive 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. They are now set to face the defending champions, the Minnesota Lynx, on July 1 in a winner-take-all matchup. Advertisement The Fever will likely face a tough test against the league's current top team, who owns an 11-1 record. For Clark, it will be an opportunity to face off against Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who was previously linked to the controversial decision not to include Clark in the Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics as the squad's head coach. Reeve's behavior toward Clark during the build-up to the Summer Games has now resurfaced courtesy of renowned sports journalist Christine Brennan. In an appearance on 'The Adam Gold Show' on Monday, the award-winning WNBA reporter did not hold back in criticizing Reeve. United States head coach Cheryl Reeve watches her team's game against Serbia.© Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports 'Just stunningly bad behavior by Cheryl Reeve, tweeting at and about Caitlin Clark, kind of blaming her for not having Minnesota Lynx games on TV, but only Caitlin games on TV,' Brennan said, via Ryan Giancola of the New York Post. Advertisement Brennan was referring to Reeve supposedly taking a shot at Clark last year amid all the hype surrounding the former Iowa star's WNBA debut. In her post, Reeve mentioned that fans would not be able to watch the game between the Lynx and the Chicago Sky because Clark's debut was going to be televised. Reeve also added a hashtag to her post: "theWismorethanoneplayer" Brennan wasn't done either. The sportscaster then took aim at Reeve's behavior toward Clark in relation to the decision to leave her out of the national team. 'How on earth is that OK with the US Olympic and Paralympic community and the USA basketball team that its coach is actively tweeting and going on social media about someone who is in the selection pool?' Brennan asked. Brennan's intense criticism comes ahead of the launch of her upcoming book, "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports," which is expected to hit shelves on July 8. Advertisement Based on her comments about Reeve here, it appears that Brennan has a few more spicy takes in her new book, which could potentially make a lot of waves in and around the WNBA. Related: Fever Coach Stephanie White Reveals Concerning Update on Tuesday Related: Caitlin Clark Turns Heads With Three-Word Message for Indiana Fever Teammate Related: Top WNBA Team Suffers Major Blow on Tuesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Commissioner Cornered Over Marina Mabrey-Caitlin Clark Incident
WNBA Commissioner Cornered Over Marina Mabrey-Caitlin Clark Incident originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Things got messy during the third quarter of the game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday evening. Advertisement Though the Fever won with a final score of 88-71, a physical altercation between Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Connecticut's Jacy Sheldon and Marina Mabrey was one of the main highlights of the game. During the third quarter, Clark took possession of the ball and dribbled over the three-point line near the free-throw line while Sheldon guarded her closely. Then, Sheldon reached up with her right hand and poked Clark in the eye, causing the Iowa alum to react. Sheldon bumped Clark, and Clark shoved her away. Then, Mabrey pushed Clark to the ground. Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey fouls Indiana Fever guard Caitlin ClarkTrevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images There have been many mixed reactions to the altercation between Clark and Mabrey. Christine Brennan, a sports analyst who has been writing a book about Clark's basketball career, posted on X right after the incident, saying, "The WNBA continues to fail to meet the moment. Terrible decision to allow Marina Mabrey to stay in the game. People are watching as never before. And this is what they see?" Advertisement Then, Chris Evert, a former tennis player, quote-tweeted Brennan's post, responding with "When will these ladies realize, accept and appreciate @CaitlinClark22 is the best thing that ever happened to women's basketball. This is a bad look for the sport and what's happened to sportsmanship?" Since Clark joined the WNBA, her debut game on May 14, 2024, against the Sun alone drew 2.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years. According to ESPN, Indiana's victory against the New York Liberty last Saturday had an average of 2.2 million viewers with a peak of 2.8 million. That average was reportedly up 76% over last season's average audience for WNBA games on the channel. So far in 2025, viewership is up 15% year-over-year across the Worldwide Leader's platforms. Ticket sales for games where Clark is expected to play have skyrocketed as well. On Wednesday morning, Brennan quote-tweeted Evert's post and wondered how the commissioner of the WNBA, Cathy Engelbert, would respond to this situation. Advertisement "It's going to be very interesting to see what Cathy Engelbert says today," Brennan wrote. "This is a big moment for the WNBA. We now have data that Clark alone draws more than half the league's TV audience. Can the W continue to allow her to receive cheap shots like Mabrey's? We shall see." Brennan has been very supportive of Clark since her rookie season. Her book about Clark, "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports," will be released on July 8. Related: Gabbie Marshall Sends Strong Message to Caitlin Clark After Heated Fever-Sun Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
WNBA coach blasted over scathing Caitlin Clark posts online: 'Stunningly bad behavior'
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been blasted by sports columnist Christine Brennan over social-media posts about Caitlin Clark in lead-up to last year's Summer Olympics. The possible conflict of interest exists with Reeve also being the Team USA head coach with Clark in the talent pool that could have represented America in Paris. Reeve took exception with the league giving television time to the Indiana Fever, so fans nationwide could watch Clark play, and not her team, which finished last season as WNBA runner-ups. 'How on earth is that ok with the US Olympic and Paralympic community and the USA basketball team that its coach is actively tweeting and going on social media about someone who is in the selection pool?' Brennan said on 'The Adam Gold Show'. 'Just stunningly bad behavior by Cheryl Reeve, tweeting at and about Caitlin Clark, kind of blaming her for not having Minnesota Lynx games on TV, but only Caitlin games on TV.' Officially, Reeve was not on the selection committee to decide the 12-woman Olympic roster. Yet, she is the coach of the team. Her input being nonexistent is not a realistic scenario. Whatever thought went into picking the stacked USA roster cannot be faulted, as the team won a gold medal without much of a hiccup outside of its Olympic finale against the host French. Team USA's only loss of the summer came in the WNBA All-Star Game where the Olympic squad lost to a selection of the league's best non-selected players, including Clark. Brennan is the author of the upcoming book, 'On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports' with her chronicling the Fever point guard's professional career. The columnist herself has not put pen to paper on the novel without ruffling a few feathers herself. Last year, she was at the center of a scandal when she asked DiJonai Carrington if she had deliberately poked Caitlin Clark in the eye during Game 1 of the first round playoff series between the Sun and Fever. When Carrington denied having any malicious intent, Brennan followed up by asking if Carrington and her teammate Marina Mabrey had laughed about it afterwards - a notion that Carrington also disapproved of. The WNBA players union filed a complaint seeking Brennan losing her credentials to cover the league, while the columnist also filed a complaint against now-Clark teammate DeWanna Bonner after she was approached by the former Sun star about her line of questioning.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Tennis great Chris Evert calls out WNBA players after latest Caitlin Clark skirmish
Tennis legend Chris Evert needled WNBA players for lack of sportsmanship following Tuesday night's skirmish that saw Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark get poked in the eye and shoved to the ground in a game against the Connecticut Sun. Clark and Sun players Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles were hit with technical fouls. Jacy Sheldon was given a flagrant foul. Later, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham appeared to retaliate with a hard foul on Sheldon. Both players were ejected from the game with 40 seconds left. Evert was among those who commented on the Clark incident. "When will these ladies realize, accept, and appreciate @CaitlinClark22 is the best thing that ever happened to women's basketball. This is a bad look for the sport and what's happened to sportsmanship?" Evert wrote on X. She responded to a social media post made by columnist Christine Brennan, who is set to release a book on Clark next month. "The WNBA continues to fail to meet the moment. Terrible decision to allow Marina Mabrey to stay in the game. People are watching as never before. And this is what they see?" Brennan wrote on X. It's far from the first time Clark has been poked, prodded and shoved to the floor. She was hit in the eye during a game against the Sun last year as well – and that's just been the tip of the iceberg. Crew chief Ashley Gross spoke to a pool reporter after the game and was asked about the Clark technical foul. "After the foul by Sheldon, Clark reacted in an unsportsmanlike manner," Goss said. Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters after the game she didn't receive any explanation for the technical foul on Clark. She implored WNBA officials to be better in their efforts to control heated matchups. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
