After a hot take on WNBA star Caitlin Clark landed him in hot water, ESPN’s Pat McAfee is standing his ground — mostly.
In a social media post after his rant in defense of the Indiana Fever guard, which also referred to her as a “white b****,” the controversial ESPN host apologized for the language, but not for the sentiment, saying that he meant it as a compliment and that everything he said about her was “still alllllll facts.”
The rant was occasioned by yet another Clark-related controversy over the weekend in which the former University of Iowa player and No. 1 draft pick was fouled hard by the Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter.
In addition to the foul, which was later upgraded to a flagrant, Carter’s Sky teammate Angel Reese — one of Clark’s main college antagonists and a fellow member of the 2024 draft class, having been selected No. 7 out of Louisiana State University — could be seen celebrating the dirty move on the sideline.
The league got a bounty on Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/aY2qlA2SOb
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 1, 2024
VIDEO: Watch as Angel Reese celebrate on the sideline, while teammate Chennedy Carter delivers a cheap shot to star player Caitlin Clark. #caitlinclark #angelreese #WNBA pic.twitter.com/GpWs4ZEXwu
— Prince Carlton 🇺🇸 (@_PrinceCarlton_) June 1, 2024
In regards to the foul, Carter slammed Clark, asking “beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man” on social media.
Do you watch Pat McAfee’s show?
McAfee answered this in, um, his inimitable way on Monday, noting there was really only one megastar in the 2024 WNBA Draft class.
“There is a superstar,” he said. “And we’re not saying that the players on the court need act any differently.
“That’s … the athletes are going to do what the athletes are going to do in any sport, and I think we’re all learning that the WNBA — that’s old-school football, baby.”
“But I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class,’” he continued.
“Nah, just call it for what it is: There’s one white b**** for the Indiana team who is a superstar. And is it because she stayed in Iowa and put an entire state on her back and took a program from nothing to a multiple-year success story?”
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some readers may find offensive.
Monday’s Pat McAfee Show opened with a Caitlin Clark PowerPoint:
“I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class’. Nah, just call it for what it is — there’s one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a superstar.” pic.twitter.com/psGNQXts5O
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 3, 2024
Now, to a certain extent, McAfee was pushing back on the idea that Clark is only famous because of her race and sexuality or due to white privilege, something that’s been a common talking point for woke sports pundits. (Cough cough Jemele Hill cough.) That said, two wrongs maketh not a right, and McAfee was willing to own it.
“I shouldn’t have used ‘white b****’ as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark. No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening,” McAfee posted on X Monday afternoon.
“I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.
“My intentions when saying it were complimentary just like the entire segment but, a lot of folks are saying that it certainly wasn’t at all,” he continued. “That’s 100% on me and for that I apologize… I have sent an apology to Caitlin as well.
“Everything else I said… still alllllll facts. #Journalism #WNBAProgrum #SheIsTheOne.”
I shouldn’t have used “white bitch” as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark. No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening.. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.
My intentions when saying… pic.twitter.com/F6OHB4gvYh
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 3, 2024
Again, it’s not worth it to get down in the mire and make this about race the same way that many of Clark’s detractors do. However, the substance of what McAfee said was true — and it’s worth pointing out that it seems to genuinely irk the left that their sports league of choice is now popular thanks to a cisgendered, heterosexual, white woman.
For years, the left has constantly brayed about the lack of attention and big salaries that have come the WNBA’s way, almost as if the women of the league have earned it for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability to bring in money and an audience. Well, finally, the league is popular. But it’s popular for the wrong reason, at least in their books! If only America were going gaga over an appropriately intersectional star.
Clark has proved that, if the quality of play and players in the WNBA improves, people will pay attention. Getting people to watch the league outside of that is a fool’s errand. Idiotic choice of words aside, the gist of what McAfee was saying is generally true — and that’s what really gets the cultural ambulance-chasers on the left in a snit. If you want to know what got people upset, consider the fact that plenty of pundits and players have used more problematic and dismissive language than he did.
It was the facts that counted, and that’s something he shouldn’t ever have to apologize for.
