WNBA thread… 28.5 ain’t your pay cut

I feel like this is a very simplistic way of looking at this specific situation.

This is not a case of the WNBA vs. the media. In part, that's because Christine Brennan isn't working as a journalist. She is working as Caitlin Clark's personal biographer. She does not hide this and neither does her coverage.

While working in this capacity, Christine clumsily asked Dijonai a question about if she tried to injure Caitlin. With her follow-up question, she essentially called Dijonai a liar. Dijonai handled it professionally, but I can see why the union was upset about a line of questioning from THAT person that will only paint one of their athletes in a negative light in an era where their Black athletes have increasingly become online targets for a certain demographic.

It is no secret that the WNBA has plenty of media missteps and problems, but both the league and its union have an obligation to protect their players. This is a case when those players needed to be protected. I'd feel the same way if one of those Outkick weirdos was trying to cause unnecessary drama at a press availability and someone objected. There's a difference between a journalist and whatever Christine is trying to be this season.

 

We've been seeing it for her last two years at Iowa, her rookie WNBA season and even all the fuss over the Olympic team: The BKW world revolves around Caitlin. She is the virgin queen who can do no wrong and must be protected at all times.

 

Brennan did not say she is Clark’s personal biographer.

Here’s what she said:

x.com

 

If that is how you want to interpret that tweet and her subsequent activity on social media and coverage, that is certainly your choice. You are wrong but that is certainly your choice.

 

How many asshole journalists out there? TJ Simers and Woody Paige made a point of being jerks. There was that guy in Dallas who acted as some old-time sports reporter.

 

More to the point: The WNBA does not need real media coverage. The NBA and ESPN supported the league in extremely lean years and will do so in perpetuity (even as Clark helps the league attract new viewers.)

 

OK, I won’t take a journalist’s word for how she describes what she’s doing and instead embrace your interpretation that she is not hiding her role as Clark’s personal biographer.

 

Been thinking about this a little this afternoon and came to the conclusion that they're both wrong, at least to some degrees.

As I said earlier, I think Brennan's line of questioning was suspect, but dumber and more leading questions get asked by personalities more conflicted than hers all over the sports world. Heck, if this had been an NFL story, that might not have been in the five worst lines of questioning all week.

Even before Clark, as was said, the WNBA has a reputation for demanding equal publicity but refusing equal scrutiny. I can't speak to that but the way it is being handled by the union seems extremely unprofessional.

The challenge is that equal publicity is largely being delivered by a straight white woman in a league that is majority Black and, depending upon who you believe, close to majority gay. I think that's the fault line. The people who have been holding the line over the last decade waiting for the league's moment are seeing it being delivered by a player and fans who don't resemble them and haven't paid their dues on or off the court. I suppose that's enough to piss anyone off.

 

To me, this has always felt like why there’s been so much Caitlin Clark backlash. She isn’t representative of the league as a whole but has driven attention that falls shy of only football and the NBA.

 

Now if Draymond Green pokes someone in the eye . . .

 

Another amazing thing throughout all this: Why isn't there a WNBA rule prohibiting artificial nails, or nails of any composition more than a minimal length beyond the fingers?? That should be an instantaneous no brsiner rules change.

Also: Upthread, there is a lot of discussion about things Caitlin Clark is gonna do during the offseason, two things I would recommend:

1) A full offseason program of nutrition and weight training designed to add about 15 pounds of upper body strength -- this will allow a slight modification of her game including more, but still very occasional, bulldozer drives to the basket resulting in tire tracks all the way up your opponent's torso. As a drop back jump shooter from orbital range, CC rarely does that now.

2) About six weeks of personal combat training-- not boxing specifically but more like military hand combat training. Street fighting.

So, next season, about the second time somebody tries to smash her around on the court -- fuck 'em up big time.

Quit waiting around like the damsel in distress waiting for teammates or refs or friends in the media or the league itself to come to your rescue.

 

The WNBA PA releasing a statement specifically attacking a reporter is NOT a case of the wnba vs the media?

alrighty then