Last week, Christine Brennan, a sports writer for USA Today, caused quite a stir.
The seasoned reporter questioned DiJonai Carrington, the guard for the Connecticut Sun, regarding the contentious incident from Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Indiana Fever. In the incident, Carrington struck rookie Caitlin Clark while trying to block a pass, causing Clark to sustain a black eye.
Some of the Sun players were offended by Brennan’s line of inquiry for Carrington, so one of them took action.
The Sun forward DeWanna Bonner contacted Brennan about the incident, according to Ben Strauss of the Washington Post. After the two had one-sided talks, Bonner advised Brennen to “treat her teammates like humans.”
Brennan attested to Strauss that the altercation with Bonner did, in fact, transpire. She also apparently made a joke to the other local reporters who saw it, pointing out that the WNBA was too sensitive and citing her history of covering delicate subjects with overtly racist connotations.
The 66-year-old reporter posed two questions to Carrington that the public was asking itself on social media: whether or not she intentionally hit Clark and whether or not she laughed about the event later in the game.
The WNBA Players Association released a statement criticizing Brennan for her “unprofessional” behavior and “blatant attempt to bait” Carrington into feeding a narrative based on racism and “misogynistic vitriol.” Carrington and Bonner weren’t the only ones troubled by the tense incident with Brennan.
Additionally, the WNBAPA said unequivocally that Brennan should have his press credentials terminated for misusing the rights that come with being a media member with credentials.
While some journalists have defended Brennan for raising difficult issues, others have attacked her for stirring up controversy. The Washington Post verified that Brennan intends to request for credentials to cover the WNBA Finals, though it is unclear what steps, if any, would be taken against her WNBA access.
