USA Today columnist Christine Brennan is a trail blazer as a woman in sports journalism. But she now finds herself on the wrong side of the players of the WNBA.
On Friday, WNBA players’ association executive director Terri Jackson released a statement on social media calling Brennan out directly for “a blatant attempt to bait a professional athlete into participating in a narrative that is false and designed to fuel racist, homophobic and misogynistic vitriol on social media.”
The accusations stem from a viral interview between Brennan and WNBA Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington regarding a collision between Carrington and rookie phenom Caitlin Clark. In the exchange, Brennan repeatedly questioned whether Carrington striking Clark’s face on the follow-through of a shot contest was intentional and if Carrington and her Connecticut Sun teammates found it funny.
“Instead of demonstrating the cornerstones of journalism ethics like integrity, objectivity, and a fundamental commitment to truth, you have chosen to be indecent and downright insincere,” Jackson wrote.
Brennan, who is reporting a book on Clark in addition to covering the WNBA season for USA Today, went viral this week for appearing to bait Carrington.
To her credit, Carrington explained that she did not realize she struck Clark’s face and maintained her composure while explaining she could not laugh about something she didn’t realize she did.
Since the hit, Carrington was the subject of a sensationalized headline by the Los Angeles Times as well as the target of racism by a fan at Mohegan Sun Arena during Game 2 between Connecticut and Indiana.
Carrington also shared a screenshot of an email she allegedly received from a fan calling her the N-word and expressing violent fantasies about her.
Throughout the league this week, WNBA players and coaches have spoken out about the extent of the hate they have received online and in-person in conjunction with an influx of new fans. Some have connected this hate to fans of Clark and the Fever specifically, while others have indicated the league overall needs to do more to protect players.
Still, the WNBPA taking aim directly at Brennan and calling out her journalistic integrity marks a new layer to the conversation.
The union also called on USA Today to review its ethics rules, accusing Brennan of breaking them.
“USA Today Sports should explain why a reporter with clear bias and ulterior motives was assigned to cover the league,” Jackson wrote.
Brennan was one of the first women to cover sports in America in the early 1980s and the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media. As a longtime impactful author, Brennan’s upcoming book on Clark was hailed as another signal of the growth of the WNBA.
But if the players see Brennan as part of the problem they are advocating to solve, she has a bigger problem to address than simply writing a good book.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.