Portnoy lashes back at Stephen A. Smith over – Sports News
Barstool Sports chief Dave Portnoy has lashed out at ESPN host Stephen A. Smith over his tackle Caitlin Clark’s conflict with the Connecticut Sun. After Clark was concerned in a number of early incidents, three gamers had been ejected following a fourth-quarter scuffle within the Indiana Fever’s 88-71 win over the Sun.
The Fever regained its chew of their final two video games, defeating the defending champions, the New York Liberty, and ending its unbeaten begin to the 2025 season earlier than beating the Sun with Clark integral after coming back from damage. However, Clark discovered herself floored towards the Sun after a run-in with a longtime nemesis in Jacy Sheldon.
In the second quarter, tensions flared when Clark voiced her frustration over Sheldon’s protection on the prior play. In response, Sheldon walked over and commented, prompting Clark— a former prime decide— to shove her. Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey gave Clark a mild shove, main Fever guard Lexie Hull to step in.
The scuffle was shortly damaged up, and no penalties got at the time. However, issues escalated within the third quarter when Sheldon struck Clark within the head whereas trying to play the ball. Clark responded by shoving Sheldon, prompting Mabrey to barrel into Clark, sending her to the ground. Clark and Mabrey had been every assessed technical fouls, whereas Sheldon obtained a Flagrant 1.
That prompted a response from nine-figure ESPN pundit Smith, who urged Clark wasn’t fully harmless within the escalating brawl. “Clearly, when it comes to Caitlin Clark, there’s some resentment, as I’ve articulated before. What people are missing, Monica, is that I have no problem with it whatsoever,” Smith mentioned during Wednesday’s episode of ‘First Take.’
“Yes, there’s resentment… this is much ado about nothing! In the heat of competition, tempers flare! Last time I checked, women got tempers just like men do. It ain’t a problem! It ain’t a problem at all! It ain’t no big deal at all! I love it, personally.
“Caitlin Clark being that golden goose, that rising tide that is lifting all boats, I stand by my previous proclamations that there is resentment in direction of her as a result of of that. But I need to take it a step additional: There’s additionally resentment in direction of her as a result of she instigates resentment in direction of her typically.”
However, Portnoy, a staunch Clark fan who has been seen courtside at Fever games wearing the 23-year-old’s jersey, leaped to the WNBA superstar’s defense. Portnoy used a ‘Jeopardy!’ reference to shut the commentator down.
DON’T MISS…
“I’ll take issues that by no means occurred however ESPN at all times pretends did for 100 Alex. Less solitaire. More details @1stephenasmith,” Portnoy wrote on X.
Clark refused to address the unsavory scenes in her post-match press conference. “You guys got here for basketball; let’s speak about basketball,” she mentioned.
Stay forward of the sport with the most recent developments within the sports activities world! Our web site is your final vacation spot for sports activities information, delivering complete updates, in-depth analyses, and knowledgeable insights into the fast-evolving realm of athletics. We carry you each day protection on the whole lot from breakthrough coaching techniques and rising crew methods to main bulletins which can be setting the tempo within the sports activities industry.
Discover how these trends are redefining the aggressive panorama! Visit us recurrently for partaking and informative content material by clicking right here. Our meticulously curated articles cowl game-changing ways, investment alternatives in sports activities, and key milestones in immediately’s dynamic athletic enviornment.
