The WNBA Players Association is attempting to ban a sports journalist from covering the league because she continues to ask players questions about Indiana Fever player and WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
The players’ union claims that USA Today Sports columnist Christine Brennan has been acting “unprofessionally” for her laser-like focus on Clark this year. According to the Washington Post, some of that focus may be a tad self-serving because she has announced that she is writing a book on Clark’s rookie season in the WNBA.
The players association was particularly triggered when Brennan tried to get more comment from Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, who bashed Clark in the face and gave the Indiana Fever star a black eye during game two of the WNBA playoffs last month.
The WNBA Players Assoc. put out a statement blasting Brennan.
“To unprofessional members of the media like Christine Brennan: You are not fooling anyone. That so-called interview in the name of journalism was a blatant attempt to bait a professional athlete into participating into a narrative that is false and designed to fuel racist, homophobic, and misogynistic vitriol on social media. You cannot hide behind your tenure,” the union wrote. “You have abused your privileges and do not deserve the credentials issued to you.”
Brennan has defended herself and her conduct, saying, “It’s something that I have done in the entirety of my career, and I think every other journalist has done the entirety of his or her career.”
She also noted that her focus on Clark is only because Clark is the biggest story in the WNBA. To explain her process, she added, “Over the years covering golf, I wrote probably over 100 columns on Tiger Woods and ignored almost all the other golfers.”
Brennan’s boss also supported her.
“We reject the notion that the interview perpetuated any narrative other than to get the player’s perspective directly,” said USA Today executive sports editor Roxanna Scott.
Regardless, Terri Jackson, the players union’s executive director, claimed that Brennan was somehow making players “unsafe.”
“When I saw the video [of the questions to Carrington], my heart dropped,” Jackson bloviated. “I was so upset because we already have people looking to attack these players. We’re talking about being safe at work.”
Brennan, who is white, is no right-wing reporter, to be sure. For instance, she moaned in print for years about how badly the NFL treated national anthem protester Colin Kaepernick.
Still, some of her colleagues have accused her of using her job to gather information for her book on Clark and that her journalistic efforts have been skewed toward her book deal instead of geared to cover the WNBA this season fairly.
For instance, Connecticut Sun reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby said Brennan is misusing her position.
“I think it’s wonderful she wants to write a book on Caitlin Clark, but I do think it’s a gross misuse to use those media availabilities to gather content for your book and make players uncomfortable,” Foster-Brasby said.
“It’s disheartening for those other athletes who have wanted an opportunity to have media coverage, and you’re taking the opportunity to speak with them but never ask anything about them,” she added.
However, even as many reporters have criticized Brennan, that is not to say they would support having her banned. That, they say, is a step too far.
“Decline to answer someone’s questions, complain to them privately or rip them publicly. That’s all fair. But I think credentials should only be pulled for clear violations of professional ethics,” said Sports Illustrated columnist Michael Rosenberg.
Whatever happens, Brennan’s paper is standing by her and has filed an application with the WNBA for Brennan to cover the WNBA Finals.
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