The WNBA is having fun with elevated media protection on account of massive names from the present season’s draft class, together with Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and extra. Issues obtained tense on the set of First Take, ESPN’s common morning sports activities program after analyst Monica McNutt checked Stephen A. Smith on his WNBA protection, or lack thereof.
Eagle-eye followers of First Take caught wind of the second through the Monday (June 3) broadcast of First Take which had a section on the WNBA with Stephen A. Smith, 56, having himself a self-congratulatory second with Monica McNutt, 34, shutting it down because it occurred.
Smith started with, “Who talks concerning the WNBA, who talks about girls, who talks about girls’s sports activities greater than First Take?”
McNutt’s rebuttal was, “Stephen A., respectfully, together with your platform, you can have been doing this three years in the past if you happen to wished to.”
Issues obtained tense after this as Smith reacted to McNutt’s jab in incredulous trend and the 2 started speaking over one another with Shannon Sharpe interjecting in some unspecified time in the future. Present moderator Molly Qerim did her finest to get the sturdy personalities of Smith and McNutt on the identical web page however appeared annoyed by the overtalking and arguing over the purpose.
McNutt’s phrases echo a number of the frustration WNBA gamers and followers have expressed that the bigger sports activities outlet has ignored the league for years till the brand new inflow of younger expertise, who introduced with them the NCAA fandom that the collegiate sport grew over the previous few years with the aforementioned Reese, Clark, and quite a few stars present process their rookie campaigns within the W.
On X, previously Twitter, followers reacted to Monica McNutt dressing down Stephen A. Smith and his WNBA protection. Try the replies beneath.
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Picture: Screengrab/ESPN