ESPN’s Monica McNutt Defends Chennedy Carter; Questions Caitlin Clark and WNBA’s Physicality

Just after the commencement of Saturday’s Fever vs. Sky matchup, Chennedy Carter and Caitlin Clark were part of every other headline. Carter’s check in the third quarter not only captivated the audience but also sparked a fervent online debate targeting Carter’s actions on the court. While almost everyone was questioning Carter, Monica McNutt felt otherwise.

To share her insights on the recent controversies surrounding Carter and Clark, Monica McNutt on ESPN offered spectators another perspective and said, “This particular play you don’t love it, but you got to understand that it is less about Caitlin Clark and more about who Chennedy Carter has been and continues to grow up from.”

Addressing the fervent debate online that is commenting on the Clark-Carter fiasco, McNutt added, “Folks need to understand that Caitlin, as she alluded to in that sound, is a competitor. This is part of the growing process and learning curve…This particular play, I’m not justifying this particular play, but the physicality of this league is part of the league. So, I think you got to be able to look at it and see this is basketball; it is a physical game. These people are competing,” defending Carter’s action. But, are Carter’s actions really justified?

Carter’s play on Caitlin Clark

For those unaware, Carter was keeping a tight check on Clark during the third quarter on Saturday. As Clark attempted to move, Carter hip-checked her with great force in such a way that the Fever’s star fell on the hardwood the next moment. This invited different reactions from her Sky’s teammate Reese who cheered for the same. Immediately, the referees declared a common foul on Carter for her disgusting action.

This action by Carter left everyone shocked on the court. Consequently, right after the matchup, all eyes were on Carter, expecting an apology from her. However, nothing of the sort happened. Instead, Carter refused to address any Caitlin Clark-related question in the postgame media appearance.

Further, she took to her official X account and wrote, “We grown asf & y’all talking about enforcer man gtfoh, hoop or shut up…” to address all those claiming that the league needs an enforcer after her foul.

As the buzz around Clark and Carter grew, the WNBA decided to review what happened. Carter’s foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1 foul as she was assessed to be too rough on Clark. But now the question is: will Carter be apologetic for her actions moving forward?

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.