At this point, when it comes to ESPN anything is possible. Once lauded for its sports coverage and analysis which the company was built on, it has now become a bit of reality television show as former first lady Michelle Obama stated recently.
Stephen A. Smith Says Donald Trump Could Open Caitlin Clark Investigation
The topics and shows are seemingly often all over the place, and the face of the network Stephen A. Smith seems to revel in this new style of entertainment and sports. That was definitely on full display during a recent episode of “First Take” where Smith oddly insinuated that President Donald Trump could open up an investigation or federal probe into the physical play against WNBA star Caitlin Clark and how she’s been officiated compared to other players as he attempts to solidify support from his followers.
Would The POTUS Really Do That?
While it’s likely far-fetched that the aforementioned Trump would allocate resources and spend the time doing such a thing, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. That’s exactly what Smith talked about during that segment of the show.
“I’m not here saying the case will be won by the government if it gets to the points. I’m saying they have a case, they have an argument,” Smith said of the idea during an episode of his show on Tuesday.
“Do we doubt that at his discretion, at his disposal, if he finds this to be an issue that is politically expedient to him, that Trump won’t use this to feed his base?” Smith said. “If [Clark] is seen to be physically getting abused on the basketball court in a way that is such a clear and flagrant discrepancy compared to what happens to others, that that man is not going to say something?
“You don’t think Caitlin Clark could become an issue of national, potentially international, and definitely federal proportions?”
Smith then mentioned how Trump’s administration recently settled with two Ivy League universities (Columbia and Harvard) over alleged civil rights violations as it pertains to Jewish employees and students.
“If the Trump administration can settle with Columbia for a $221 million settlement over what’s taken place on a campus, you think you can definitively rule out what kind of noise could be made if the WNBA continues to allow this treatment of Caitlin Clark?” Smith asked.
Clark’s Teammate Recently Spoke Out
During a recent episode of her podcast, Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham talked at length about her perspective on how the league’s other players view Clark. The outspoken Cunningham, speaking from the point of view of both her time with the Phoenix Mercury and now as Clark’s teammate, said, “You have seen players in our league try to, like, toughen up Caitlin.
“Even when I wasn’t on her team, I know the talks that Phoenix had in the locker room, like, ‘No, we’re going to show her what the W really is,’ and I get it to a certain extent, and every rookie coming into the league, that’s how you’re going to treat ’em, but there’s just more for her,” Cunningham continued. “And now being on her team and seeing it, I’m like, ‘What are people doing?’ Actually, it’s just too much. It’s too much. I’m over it, and if I think it’s too much, it’s probably too much.”
Clark Has Battled Injuries All Season
In her second season, Clark the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star, has been hampered by injuries (quad and groin) all season. She’s only appeared in 13 games, and has missed 18 games this season and the team is 9-9 in those games and 8–5 with her.
The team is still a solid 17-14 overall, which is good enough for the fifth seed in the playoff race. But, they’ll need a healthy Clark come playoff time if they wanna make some noise.
