This isn’t the first time Candace Parker has faced backlash for her commentary, but this time, the criticism is coming from a long-time media personality who thinks she simply doesn’t belong. Parker, a decorated WNBA legend and seasoned broadcaster, has been a key part of TNT’s NBA coverage and is now lending her voice to the men’s college basketball tournament. But according to former ESPN analyst Jason Whitlock, that’s exactly the problem.

57-year-old sports media personality and ‘Blaze Media’ host Jason Whitlock recently took to X. In the last 12 hours, the conservative host put out 20+ tweets, discussing everything from the ongoing LeBron James-Stephen A. Smith feud to different broadcasters covering the sport of basketball. Soon, his attention turned to Candace Parker. Right out of context, he put out a tweet attacking the WNBA star by writing,

“I don’t care how much makeup they paint on Candace Parker, she’s out of place talking men’s college basketball, especially in the middle of the women’s college basketball tournament. It makes no sense.” Yikes!

The following tweet from Jason Whitlock comes around the same time that issues have been raised over Parker’s commentary style.

Back in early March, the 38-year-old was calling out an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. Luka Doncic was pulling some major stops during the matchup. He opened the scoring for the Lakers with a 3, secured a steal to immediately drill his signature 3-pointer, etc.

Parker was impressed with the performance. It led her to keep referring to the Slovenian as “Luka the Don” again and again throughout the game. Fans did not appreciate this repetitiveness, using comments like “cringe” and “that s**t is not sticking” to make their true opinions known.

Later, Parker would come under fire for promoting a plug for Adidas during a serious discussion about Damian Lillard’s blood clot, and for claiming Shai Gilgeous-Alexander possessed a “smooth” play.

Sure, Candace Parker did not create a good standing for herself when calling out NBA games. However, ever since she was roped in amongst the crew of CBS, Turner to serve as March Madness announcers, there has been no reported incidents of the same nature. On social media, a few individuals have critiqued her. They have called her out for being ‘boring’, providing information on men’s basketball games with ‘no context’, etc. Other than that, however, the WNBA star has avoided any major controversy for now.

It is no secret that female announcers sometimes face an issue making a mark in calling men’s sports games. According to a study published in 2022 by Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, audiences often experienced a social identity crisis with female announcers calling men’s sports. The report also claimed that “Sports broadcasting has been wholly mired by either half-hearted acceptance or outright rejection of female journalists and announcers in what often constitutes a masculine form of overt gender bias”. It is not for us to state whether the same example can be applied regarding Candace Parker here.

Jason Whitlock has never been one to hold back when it comes to his opinions on basketball. He’s been vocal for years, unbothered by the waves of criticism that follow his takes. So, with all the buzz surrounding March Madness, it was only a matter of time before he weighed in on the conversation.

And, of course, it was no shock that Candace Parker became part of the discussion. Whitlock has had plenty to say about her in the past, and this time was no different.

Jason Whitlock once snubbed Candace Parker’s crowning dunking achievement: “She was handed the title”

Back in March 2004, Candace Parker etched her name in the history books, 4 years before she entered the WNBA. A then 17-year-old Parker became the first female to win the slam dunk contest at the McDonald’s High School All-American Game.

Her feat became only more impressive when considering that she competed against names like Josh Smith, J.R. Smith, and Rudy Gay. Aka players who would become big NBA stars over time. Parker’s repertoire was reportedly “wasn’t as athletic or creative” as her male counterparts. However, her one-handed dunks, which included putting the ball behind her back and covering her eyes, won over the crowd. Unfortunately, it was not enough to win over Jason Whitlock.

Back in 2004, Whitlock was working as a columnist for ESPN.com’s Page 2. He critiqued Parker’s win, and called it “another leap backward” for womankind. However, why did he feel so? Well, according to Whitlock, “No disrespect to Ms. Parker, but she was handed the title. Her dunks were unspectacular. She won because the boys in the contest failed to complete their dunks.”

Whitlock believed that Parker’s participation undermined the credibility of the contest, as a whole. He believed the young star’s dunks were “pedestrian” level, and the judges and the crowd treated her “like she’d performed with a disability”. From what the columnist had seen, he wasn’t willing to accept that Candace Parker had just created a historical moment in women’s basketball.

“Parker is one of the most talented female athletes in the world. She’s worked as hard as any boy to hone her skills. So it means little when she wins a contest tilted in her favor,” wrote Whitlock. “That’s degrading. And so is the subsequent patronizing news coverage.”

2 decades later, Jason Whitlock’s critique of Candace Parker has not gone away. Whether the WNBA star herself will choose to respond to this shortly is something that remains to be seen.