Matt Barnes Accuses Media for Fueling Caitlin Clark Controversy After DiJonai Carrington’s Stinging Taunts

Caitlin Clark is allegedly on the radar of seasoned WNBA stars, but is the media furthering this controversial angle? There is no denying the Fever rookie has a significant popularity in the league. And everything associated with her makes it to media headlines, widely capturing the audiences’ attention. The most recent one includes the incident between DiJonai Carrington and Caitlin Clark. Now, former NBA star Matt Barnes has claimed that the media popularizes such incidents to gain traction.

In the recent Suns and Fever’s matchup, there came a moment where Carrington was called for a foul on Clark. However, the moment escalated when the Suns’ guard mocked Clark, expressing that the rookie’s reaction was exaggerated, eventually getting booed by the crowd. The clip gained significant attention and has been making rounds on the internet. Speaking of it, Matt Barnes opined, “Yall purposely show plays to stir the pot. This is clearly a foul but I see yall 😂😂,” on ESPN’s IG post featuring the highlight. Barnes amplified his remark by reposting an IG story reading, “media always tryna start something.”

Before this matchup, Fever stood 3-9 on the table, incurring two of those loses from the Suns. With Carrington’s 22-point performance, Caitlin Clark & Co. once again fell short of securing a win. Though the foul rewarded 2 points from the rookie, it did not prove enough to bridge the 89-72 gap the Sun won with. 

As the highlighted clip of the evening was circulated on social media, there were many who came down on Carrington for mocking Clark. Some even went to the extent of stating this is the first time they were hearing the Suns star’s name. Bottom line, the whole incident has garnered significant attention, which furthers Matt Barnes’ point of media popularizing such moments. 

Caitlin Clark’s response backs Matt Barnes remark?

The most recent incident from the WNBA that had fans, analysts and NBA stars talking alike was Chennedy Carter’s hard foul against the Fever rookie. While inbounding, Clark received a shoulder push from the 25-year-old Sky star, getting knocked down to the floor.

Although it was declared as a common foul during the game, the league later upgraded it to a flagrant 1 violation. The decision seems to have stemmed from the incident making it the most media headlines, followed by reactions from basketball veterans and enthusiasts.

Most of this engagement further was netizens coming down heavily on Carter labeling the foul as a cheap shot. However, Clark cleared the air and hushed the rivalry spewed up by the media stating, “There are no grudges, there is nothing like that. It’s a sport, it’s competitive, it is not going to be nice all the time.” The view was also on par with WNBA veterans claiming rookies are often a subject to such instances and it wasn’t individual targeting.

Carter’s view, on the other hand, once again presented how perspectives differed. She said, “…don’t form an opinion off of one little clip. And you didn’t even see the whole game and/or the play that led to that.” Maybe a look at wider picture and a view for oneself is all the remarks suggest.

Before you leave, follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more.