Shannon Sharpe Goes at Chennedy Carter For Going at Caitlin Clark Online Rather Than Post-Game

The much-awaited matchup between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever didn’t disappoint. The Fever emerged victorious, inching out the Sky by a scoreline of 71-70. The contest was a physical affair, including a heated moment between Caitlin Clark and Chicago guard Chennedy Carter, after the latter pushed Clark during an inbound pass. And it didn’t stop there.

Things further escalated after the game when Chennedy took to social media to comment on the Fever rookie, claiming that besides shooting three balls, Clark doesn’t have much to offer as a player.`

Chennedy Carter gives her take on Caitlin Clark's style of play 👀😳

Full story here: https://t.co/2iVeWzlq63 pic.twitter.com/pgUFqUzJoj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 2, 2024

Carter’s antics were addressed by several analysts including Shannon Sharpe. On his show “Night Cap,” Sharpe went in on the Chicago guard, even calling her out for taking shots at Clark online, as opposed to during the post-game press conference. He said,

“If that’s how you felt, then you should have said that last night. Why didn’t you step to the podium, when it was your opportunity?… If you’re not going to talk about Caitlin Clark when that’s your media obligation, that’s your chance, why are you talking behind her on social media.”

Sharpe’s running mate, Chad Ochocinco, offered a counter explanation for Carter’s behavior, claiming that the Sky guard avoided questions related to Caitlin Clark to avoid further escalating the situation and, in turn, saying things she might not mean.

Though Chad does have a plausible explanation for Carter’s behavior, the reality appeared to be different during the post-game press conference. The entire Sky team avoided most questions about Clark and were quick to dismiss any topics or questions that veered in that direction.

The team did face repercussions for their actions, as the WNBA fined them $5000 for their antics during the presser. Even Clark expressed her feelings about in-game happenings.

WNBA upgrades the foul on Caitlin Clark

The referees present during Sunday’s game between the Fever and Sky deemed the foul on Caitlin a common one. But after things started quickly escalating, the league was forced to have another look, and the verdict is in.

Reclassifying it to a flagrant foul, the WNBA seems to have gone out of its way to ensure that the league’s golden child stays safe on the hardwood. Besides the $5000 fine on the team, Carter was additionally fined $1000 for her antics by the league.

But to everyone’s surprise, Clark handled the whole situation with great poise and humility. When asked about the hard foul on her by Carter, she calmly responded,

“I think I am just at the point where you accept it and don’t retaliate. Just let them hit you, be what it is, don’t let it get inside your head.”

Clark further admitted that she has just accepted the reality of the situation and now expects to be hit a few times in a game. The Iowa Stars ‘calm’ approach surely paid off as the Fever secured the win, opening their Commissioner’s Cup campaign with a win and improving their record to 2-9.