Former WNBA player reflects on the repercussions of the move between Chennedy Carter and Caitlin Clark - Jumper Brasil
Author: Vitória Correa
Website: Jumper Brasil
Former WNBA player reflects on the repercussions of the move between Chennedy Carter and Caitlin Clark
Former player and ESPN analyst spoke about recent controversies in the women's league
Since last WNBA weekend, Chennedy Carter has received negative reviews due to a foul on Caitlin Clark. So, former player Chiney Ogwumike came out in defense not only of her former teammate, but also of women's basketball. In addition, rookie Cameron Brink also gave her opinion on the league's performance, opening up some social problems within the sport.
Now an analyst at ESPN, Chiney made sensible statements on the subject involving Chennedy Carter, Caitlin Clark and the WNBA itself. According to her, there are stereotypes and exaggerated situations in relation to the characteristics of the league in comparison, mainly, with men's sports.
"I played Chennedy Carter, and her choice to retaliate on a non-basketball play was dirty, something she struggled with her entire career. That wasn't nice. But one player's approach is not indicative of an entire league," Chiney said.
In addition, Chiney sent a direct message to people who may have never watched WNBA games, but still need to go to social media to comment.
"For anyone new to this, the WNBA has always been a physical league, full of competitive fire and small talk. In the full sequence of that play, Caitlin was talking, and in this league no one gives up the small talk," he said.
Within her speech, Chiney also made an observation that has summarized the experience of all women's basketball lovers with the WNBA in 2024. According to the analyst, there is a situation projected by people outside the game and the community.
"When it comes to female athletes, there is an expectation that players in the heat of the moment should stop what they are doing and thank Caitlin," he continued.
Exaggerated projections
On the spotlight and defenses around Caitlin Clark, Chiney noted that there is a situation that what involves Clark can help the WNBA get more recognition. However, the story told in Saturday's post-game (1st) has put this on a negative level. In addition, the former athlete draws attention to the causes of the spread of this type of narrative: the media.
"We all know and appreciate the unparalleled growth and attention that Caitlin is driving to become the beacon of so much interest, engagement and viewership for the WNBA. And I'm her biggest fan. But this narrative actually does her a disservice. It's not hate, this is basketball, like any other professional sport at the highest level. I hope you understand that."
Chiney completed her previous speech by citing other rookies who have gone through similar processes during the history of the WNBA. Some names mentioned were Candace Parker for the Los Angeles Sparks, Sabrina Ionescu for the New York Liberty, Kelsey Plum for the San Antonio Stars, and Skylar Diggins-Smith for the Tulsa Shock.
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"All the rookies, especially the number one ones, were tested mentally, physically and emotionally. Plays like this [Chennedy Carter's] happen in sports, but now they're being used for other agendas that don't serve the [WNBA] game," Chiney added.
Alyssa Thomas vs. Angel Reese
The former player, likewise, mentioned the absence of Alyssa Thomas after a play with Angel Reese, also on Saturday (1st). The curiosity of the situation is due to the fact that, as much as Thomas is a more physical player, she does not have ten flagrant fouls in her career.
Since 2014 in the WNBA, the player of the current leader of the competition, Connecticut Sun, was even defended by Reese herself in the postgame. "There are no hard feelings against the TA. I know he didn't do it on purpose, but being able to stay on his feet [in the next duels between the two] will be a tough game, and that's what I was created for," said the Chicago Sky rookie.
Cameron Brink and breaking stereotypes
Another newcomer who showed up was Cameron Brink, from the Los Angeles Sparks. In an interview with Megan Armstrong of "Uproxx's", Brink talked about the repercussion on Chennedy Carter, the idealization of Caitlin Clark and the problems that caused the buzz outside the WNBA. According to her, there are privileges in the WNBA for younger white players in various aspects not only of play, but also off-court.
"[I would like] to grow the fan base so that they support all types of players. I recognize that there is a privilege for the youngest white players in the league. We inherently have the privilege of appearing more "feminine." Some of my teammates are more masculine, some use they/them pronouns. I want to bring more acceptance and not just for people to support us because of our appearance. I know I can contribute to this because I like to dress in a feminine way. I want everyone to be accepted — not just get attention because of their looks," Brink said.
Tiring adaptation in the WNBA
Asked what has made her adaptation in the WNBA more tiring, Cameron Brink said that there are stereotypical narratives that bother her. "That's a great question. The most tiresome narrative is that veterans are against newcomers — old school versus new school — and the narrative that newcomers need to be perfect," she said. In addition, it opened up the pressure suffered by Caitlin Clark at this time.
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"I feel like Caitlin Clark has [suffered] the worst now, but even I understand that. She scored three points the other night [against Liberty on June 2], while I scored three points the other night [against Fever on May 28]. They expect us to be perfect. We were selected for high-ranking teams, coming from lost seasons, which is good. It is a learning process. But, people expect us to be perfect and that's extremely tiring. I feel like we can learn how to turn that off, but it's still not the reality. It just shows that people don't know basketball," he declared.
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