“Ridiculous”: Ex-ESPN Host Calls Out Media’s Caitlin Clark Treatment As WNBA Reporter Addresses Criticism Over Her Team USA Remark
· Yahoo Sports
Caitlin Clark’s popularity has made her one of the most scrutinized players in women’s basketball, but former ESPN host Linda Cohn believes the attention surrounding the Indiana Fever star has crossed into something she simply cannot ignore. As Clark prepares to represent Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, Cohn has once again pushed back against what she sees as ridiculous treatment of the guard by members of the media.
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“I always say you have to expect the unexpected in the world we live today, and that includes sports in the way sports media covers it. Apparently, I became part of the Caitlin Clark media wars who knew? I made a couple of posts on X because I saw some things being said about Caitlin Clark that I thought were ridiculous… I’ve been calling out nonsense with WNBA Caitlin Clark media treatment and ESPN since I started this show… If I think something is ridiculous. I’m going to say it’s ridiculous when I did, in this case,” Cohn said.
Cohn’s comments come as another Caitlin Clark-related media controversy has emerged ahead of the FIBA World Cup. With the WNBA currently on its international break, Clark is preparing to take the court for Team USA, but a response from WNBA reporter Cindy Brunson to a viral Threads post has drawn criticism over how some members of the media are discussing the Fever star.
In the viral Threads post, the user wrote, “These women are about to body Caitlin and bc she can’t play defense back or play through contact, she’s gonna have the tantrum of all tantrums.” To which Brunson responded, “The freedom of movement whistles do not travel outside of U.S. WNBA soil.”
Her response quickly drew attention, with even BrickCenter taking to X and writing, “WNBA media members are hoping Caitlin Clark gets bodied on Team USA.”
Brunson, however, later pushed back against that interpretation, explaining that her comment was about the physical nature of FIBA basketball and the defensive freedom Team USA’s guards will have under its rules.
“Why are you so obsessed with what I say on Threads?!? I was literally talking about how our guards Rhy, Jack, PB5 and Soni can actually put folks in handcuffs w/o worrying about the freedom of movement whistle. FIBA is PHYSICAL, and players only get 5 fouls instead of 6,” Brunson wrote on X.
The exchange also comes with some recent history between Cohn and Brunson. The two recently crossed paths on X after a group of analysts discussed Clark coming off the bench for the Fever and incorrectly claimed that Olivia Miles had broken the WNBA’s rookie assist record, while Caitlin Clark actually held the record.
Cohn responded to the discussion by writing, “Makes perfect sense to those who make ridiculous observations. ????????” That prompted Brunson to question why the former ESPN host did not show the same energy toward the WNBA during her time at the network.
Cohn addressed that exchange as well, making it clear that her recent defense of Clark and the WNBA is not something she suddenly discovered.
“Cindy Brunson, who I worked with for years at ESPN, and I have respected and still do, did come after me on X, basically asking where was all this energy for the WNBA when you worked at ESPN? Fun fact. Cindy, I actually did play-by-play for the WNBA for two seasons back in the day on ESPN when legends like Lisa Leslie and Tamika Catchings were playing in the league. I was grateful to work with such amazing analysts like Ann Meyers and Nancy Lieberman. I didn’t just now discover the league existed,” Cohn added.
Cohn’s history with the league may explain why she was so quick to push back against the criticism, but her larger point remains centered on how Clark is being discussed. Caitlin Clark has become one of the most heavily scrutinized players in the league, with almost every performance from the Fever star capable of sparking a much bigger conversation. And that is something other analysts have pointed out as well.
As the WNBA continues to grow, with a major part of that growth being driven by Clark, the spotlight surrounding the Indiana Fever star is only going to grow bigger. That means every game, every performance, and even every comment surrounding Caitlin Clark can quickly become part of a much larger conversation.
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