Caitlin Clark Archives - Page 3 of 11

Angel Reese Feels WNBA Is Not Only Popular Now Because of Caitlin Clark: ‘It’s Because of Me, Too’

June 5, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Angel Reese believes that Caitlin Clark is not the sole reason for the recent surge in the WNBA’s popularity. Look, she’s outspoken. We get it. But maybe she has a point.

“I think so many people are watching women’s basketball right now,” the Chicago Sky star told WGN News after practice Monday. “It all started from the national championship game, and I’ve been dealing with this for two years now, and understand that, yeah, negative things have probably been said about me. But honestly, I’ll take that because look where women’s basketball is.”

Reese, 22, noted that the league is attracting attention these days. “People are pulling up to games. We’ve got celebrities coming to games [and] sold-out arenas just because of one single game,” she said, referring to the 2023 NCAA women’s title game, where her LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes.

Get this: Reese is willing to embrace the “bad guy role” if it helps the WNBA grow. “I know I’ll go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me, too.’ And I want you to realize that. Like, it’s just not ’cause of one person. A lot of us have done so much for this game.”

Clark, also 22, is credited a lot by a lot of media pundits with elevating women’s professional basketball. Charles Barkley recently praised her, saying WNBA players should be grateful for her contributions. “All the money and visibility she’s bringing to the WNBA, what she’s accomplished, give her her flowers,” the 11-time NBA All-Star said. “Stop being petty, all you women out there. … Caitlin Clark, thank you for bringing all that money and shine to the WNBA.” LeBron James, the arguable NBA GOAT, supported Clark, saying, “I’m rooting for Caitlin because I’ve been in that seat before. I’ve walked that road before. I hope she kills!” he said on his “Mind the Game” podcast on May 23.

Reese addressed her relationship with Clark in March. She emphasized it is not personal. “Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It’s just a super-competitive game,” she told reporters. “Once I get between those lines, there’s no friends. I’m going to talk trash to you. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it. I don’t think people really realize that.”

The post Angel Reese Feels WNBA Is Not Only Popular Now Because of Caitlin Clark: ‘It’s Because of Me, Too’ first appeared on The Source.

The post Angel Reese Feels WNBA Is Not Only Popular Now Because of Caitlin Clark: ‘It’s Because of Me, Too’ appeared first on The Source.

SOURCE SPORTS: MA$E Dishes on Caitlin Clark’s String of Hard Fouls

June 5, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Harlem rapper turned It Is What It Is sports podcaster MA$E has an opinion on Caitlin Clark being fouled all over the place in the early portion of her first WNBA season. He came to the defense of the star rookie and how she’s handled the treatment on the court from her opponents.

First let’s get to Clark’s take on the fouls and the criticism she’s received. In an NBC News interview, she gave her perspective. Clark is the third-most fouled player in the league. Full stop. Okay that’s a lot … Clark said “I wasn’t expecting it,” she said about a recent foul. “But I think it’s … just respond, come down, let the play do the talking. It is what it is. It’s a physical game, go make the free throw and then execute on offense.”

Fair assessment. Queue MA$E … The former Bad Boy star spoke up for Clark on his highly popular “It Is What It Is” podcast that same day – that’s media working in real time – where he gave his two cents on the treatment of female professional athletes. “They are just playing down the significance of just female sports being portrayed the right way,” he said. “If you want branding dollars, then you have to be brand appropriate. You go further when your brand is clean enough to be marketed on different platforms.”

Now get this, MA$E added more about the topic … “When it comes to Caitlin Clark, I think they are being rough with her. I heard what Monica had to say, and I kinda disagree. If someone is coming in, and they’re adding more eyes, and more marketing dollars, why would you try to not make that person a success?”

MA$E ended with this “Not that you should be helping her, but you definitely shouldn’t be trying to hurt her. It shouldn’t be over-aggression towards Caitlin, because it comes across as hating.”

What ya’ll think, does Ma$e have a point or is this all overblown?

The post SOURCE SPORTS: MA$E Dishes on Caitlin Clark’s String of Hard Fouls first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: MA$E Dishes on Caitlin Clark’s String of Hard Fouls appeared first on The Source.

SOURCE SPORTS: Gatorade Teams Up with Eric Emanuel to Celebrate “Is It In You?” Tagline Revival

June 5, 2024 by newhiphopnews

This morning, Gatorade announced an exciting collaboration with New York-based sportswear designer Eric Emanuel to celebrate the return of their iconic “Is It In You?” tagline. The partnership features a limited edition Drop, available exclusively through Gatorade’s membership platform, Gatorade iD.

Starting Tuesday, June 11, at 10 a.m. ET, fans can purchase the limited-edition Gatorade x Eric Emanuel collection. The collaboration includes two unique collections: a t-shirt paired with a bottle and shorts with a towel, all designed in a cool blue colorway.

Emanuel, widely recognized for his signature sportswear collections and dubbed the “King of Shorts” for his popular mesh basketball shorts, has designed this collection to symbolize a new era for Gatorade. The Gatorade-colored sweat design on the apparel serves as a reminder of the hard work and dedication athletes put into their craft.

The collaboration aims to help athletes express their inner drive and IT factor, much like Emanuel’s focus on being the best in the game. His designs are known for drawing long lines every Friday when new shorts are released, reflecting his IT factor and commitment to excellence.

The collection drop on Gatorade iD is set to be a sought-after release. It celebrates both the iconic sports drink’s legacy and Emanuel’s cutting-edge design ethos. For more details and to access the collection, visit the Gatorade iD platform.

Gatorade, the world’s leading sports drink, has announced the return of its iconic tagline, “Is It In You?”, with the largest campaign in the brand’s history. The tagline, first made famous in the 1990s and early 2000s featuring Michael Jordan, reintroduces the concept of “IT” – the inner drive that fuels greatness – with a contemporary twist for today’s athletes.

The campaign aims to address modern pressures and distractions that young athletes face. New data from Gatorade reveals that 53% of Gen Z athletes who quit sports cite external factors like social pressures and unrealistic expectations. To combat this, Gatorade is leveraging its elite athlete roster to help relaunch “Is It In You?” and inspire athletes to focus on their inner drive.

“As the brand that has been on the sidelines fueling athletes for decades, we’re committed to not only helping them stay in the game but also celebrating their unique ‘IT’,” said Gatorade Chief Brand Officer, Anuj Bhasin. “The return of ‘Is It In You?’, our biggest campaign of all time, is about acknowledging how much the sports landscape has changed, while reminding athletes that one thing hasn’t – the inner drive that fuels you – and that’s what matters most.”

“With ‘Is It In You?’ in the ‘90s, we inspired a generation,” said Michael Jordan, Gatorade’s longest standing athlete partner, six-time NBA Champion, five-time NBA MVP and 14-time NBA All-Star. “The return of ‘Is It In You?’ is another chapter in greatness for Gatorade, a brand that has fueled champions for decades and relentlessly serves athletes on and off the field.”

The campaign kicked off with a powerful 60-second film, “IT Hasn’t Changed,” narrated by Michael Jordan. The film features stories from Gatorade athletes such as Josh Allen, Caitlin Clark, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Jayson Tatum, A’ja Wilson, and DJ Lagway, who have overcome obstacles by tapping into their personal “IT”. The film debuted during the NBA Western Conference Finals Game 4.

Throughout the summer, the campaign will include a colored sweat takeover on social media, custom filters on Snapchat and Instagram, and billboards nationwide. Fans can follow Gatorade’s social media for more updates.

This campaign follows a strong first half for Gatorade, which continues to lead the sports drink market and expand into new areas such as equipment, beverage enhancers, and enhanced water, making it the most complete portfolio of athletic solutions available.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Gatorade Teams Up with Eric Emanuel to Celebrate “Is It In You?” Tagline Revival first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Gatorade Teams Up with Eric Emanuel to Celebrate “Is It In You?” Tagline Revival appeared first on The Source.

Mase Weighs In On Caitlin Clark Receiving Hard Fouls In The WNBA: “It Comes Across As Hating”

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Mase has thrown his hat in the ring of Caitlin Clark defenders, speaking out against the WNBA rookie sensation’s issues with receiving hard fouls from the opposition. Despite being the third-most fouled player in the league, the Indiana Fever rookie said in an interview with NBC News that aired on Monday, June 3, that she made an effort not to let the criticism get to her. When asked about the hard foul that has had everyone talking, she said, “I wasn’t expecting it. But I think it’s … just respond, come down, let the play do the talking. It is what it is. It’s a physical game, go make the free throw and then execute on offense.”

On a recent episode of the It Is What It Is, Mase defended Catilin Clark. He said on the podcast, “They are just playing down the significance of just female sports being portrayed the right way.” He continued, saying, “If you want branding dollars, then you have to be brand appropriate. You go further when your brand is clean enough to be marketed on different platforms. […]” He thinks the other players are purposefully being physical with her and that the treatment she has been receiving makes them seem like haters.

Mase Gives His Two Cents on the Caitlin Clark Situation

Mase continued to say, “Not that you should be helping her, but you definitely shouldn’t be trying to hurt her. It shouldn’t be over-aggression towards Caitlin, because it comes across as hating.” The Caitlin Clark discourse is continuing to heat up. Everyone is commenting on the harsh treatment during her debut WNBA season. Mase sees the social media clips and the outrage machine that is perpetually churning and has come to the conclusion that there is something unfair going on with Caitlin Clark. Overall, to the world outside of diehard WNBA fans, the treatment does, in fact, seem a tad unfair.

Caitlin Clark has been a major factor in the WNBA having this moment of popularity. Let’s hope the discourse that has been at times, toxic can calm down enough to enjoy some basketball. The WNBA is a rough league. There is a level of physicality in the league that you don’t see in the NBA. For that reason, some of these fouls may be shocking to new viewers. But people that have watched and covered the league will let you know these types of hard fouls are pretty common, and so is the treatment of star rookies. Overall, Mase thinks the fouls aren’t a good look for the vets of the WNBA. We will see if anything changes with how Caitlin Clark is received.

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The post Mase Weighs In On Caitlin Clark Receiving Hard Fouls In The WNBA: “It Comes Across As Hating” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Pat McAfee Reveals How Caitlin Clark Responded To His Apology

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Pat McAfee has been a controversial figure over at ESPN. Overall, everyone knows that he doesn’t fit the typical ESPN mold. Instead, he is a loud former NFL punter who used to run with the boys over at Barstool. Shows like First Take, Get Up! and NFL Live have real journalists on their programs. However, McAfee is all about the frat boy commentary. Having said that, it should come as no surprise that he thought he was making a good point by calling Caitlin Clark a “White B*tch” on live TV.

Of course, the context here is that he was speaking from the perspective of the rest of the WNBA. His comments are already crass, but when you realize the context, his comments are even worse. Ultimately, McAfee is not the guy to be speaking on race relations and how the intersectionality of women’s basketball. Having said all of that, he is smart enough to know that his comments yesterday required an apology.

Pat McAfee Apologizes For His Comments

On his show today, McAfee revealed that he reached out to Clark and the Indiana Fever. He noted that he apologized for his comments and that the team told him it was “all good.” From there, McAfee said that Clark apparently appreciated his reach out. Although it was ambiguous as to whether or not they spoke directly. It is a tepid response from the Fever, however, given what was said and the ensuing discourse, it’s not surprising. It’s clear Clark just wants to play basketball and move on.

Let us know how you felt about this situation, in the comments section down below. Do you feel as though McAfee was doing too much in this instance? Would you have been as forgiving if you were in Caitlin Clark and these comments were made about yourself? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

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Stephen A Smith Welcomes Monica McNutt Back On “First Take,” Clarifies Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark Comments

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Stephen A Smith found himself in the midst of a pretty large controversy on Monday. Overall, it all had to do with the discourse surrounding Caitlin Clark and Chennedy Carter. During his conversation with Shannon Sharpe and Monica McNutt, Smith made it seem as though the WNBA players were jealous of Clark. This led to a significant conversation on race and how intersectionality plays within the WNBA. After all, black queer women make up a large percentage of the WNBA, and they have been helping to build the league long before Clark came into the picture.

Smith took offense later in the segment when McNutt rightfully noted that Smith could have been talking about the WNBA three years ago. This led to a huge fallout, with Smith going on his podcast and claiming he made McNutt’s career. Today, cooler heads ultimately prevailed as McNutt was back on First Take. In fact, Chiney Ogwumike was there as well. As for Smith, he clarified his remarks on Caitlin Clark and explained exactly how he feels about the situation.

Stephen A Smith Speaks

My thoughts on Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, race and more pic.twitter.com/JOj5LVpUeU

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 4, 2024

In his eyes, Clark deserves the acclaim she has received. However, he does feel like because she is white, she has been given more grace than some of her peers. For instance, when Angel Reese gets fouled, there isn’t as much outrage. He notes that black athletes across the globe have had to fight harder to get what they deserve, and that will not change as long as white people continue to be given the upper hand. Today’s conversation was certainly more productive than yesterday’s. Moving forward, fans are hopeful that the discourse around the league will center around competition, and the high level at which all of the league’s athletes are playing.

Let us know what you think of this take from Stephen A. Smith, in the comments section down below. What do you make of the discourse when it comes to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese? Do you feel as though it has gotten out of hand? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

[Via]

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Angel Reese Says The Reason For The WNBA’s Surge In Popularity Is More Than Just Caitlin Clark

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

According to Angel Reese, there are other factors at play in the WNBA’s recent surge in popularity than Caitlin Clark. “I think so many people are watching women’s basketball right now,” the Chicago Sky star told WGN News after practice Monday. She continued, “It all started from the national championship game, and I’ve been dealing with this for two years now, and understand that, yeah, negative things have probably been said about me. But honestly, I’ll take that because look where women’s basketball is.” The 22-year-old Reese claimed that more and more individuals “you never would think would be talking about women’s basketball” are becoming aware of the league.

Angel Reese explains that it isn’t just a singular individual driving the popularity the WNBA is receiving “People are pulling up to games. We’ve got celebrities coming to games [and] sold-out arenas just because of one single game,” she said. Rapper Latto notably showed up to support Angel Reese, and she received love from Megan Thee Stallion. The forward declared that if it means the WNBA will keep expanding, she is willing to take on the role of the villain. Overall, Angel Reese wants to make it clear that the players before her and her rookie class are the reason the WNBA is having a moment. While Clark is a big reason, she isn’t the sole reason.

Angel Reese Says The WNBA is More Than One Person

Many took what Angel said and left out the part where she talked about everyone contributing, like Robert Griffin III. The analyst then corrected himself when shown the full clip. Angel Reese spoke about the impact that she will have down the line, affirming that she believes it’s a collective effort to grow the game. She said, “I know I’ll go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me, too.’ And I want you to realize that.” She continued, “Like, it’s just not ’cause of one person. A lot of us have done so much for this game.”

Angel Reese and other players are being targeted for not ushering in a red carpet for Caitlin Clark. The discourse around Clark is getting into murky territory where pundits who never covered the WNBA are acting as if they are authorities. Overall, Angel Reese is right. Caitlin Clark is a big reason for the surge in popularity, but so are Angel Reese Cameron Brink, and a number of other rookies. Not to mention the superstars that have been dominating the league like Aja Wilson.

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Pat McAfee Apologizes For Out Of Pocket Caitlin Clark Comments: “That’s 100% On Me And For That I apologize.”

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

In response to the criticism, Pat McAfee says he shouldn’t have used the term to characterize Caitlin Clark and that he personally apologized to her for the error. “No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening,” McAfee said on twitter. “I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.” He adde, “My intentions when saying it were complimentary just like the entire segment but, a lot of folks are saying that it certainly wasn’t at all. That’s 100% on me and for that I apologize.”

After calling Caitlin Clark a “white bitch” during a heated tirade about WNBA coverage on Monday, Pat McAfee, an ESPN broadcaster, is now receiving blowback for the remarks. The “Pat McAfee Show” began with an angry monologue from the former punter for the Indianapolis Colts. He described how tired of hearing people say that the WBNA is becoming more and more popular because of the rookie class that included players like Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, and Clark. To make his argument, McAfee put on a presentation akin to a game show, highlighting how Clark is outperforming her fellow first-year pros in terms of TV ratings, jersey sales, and attendance.

Pat McAfee Is Sorry After Caitlin Clark DeBacle

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In response to the assertions that Clark’s race contributes to her notoriety, he said that the fact that she is white is meaningless because numerous other well-known players in the league, like Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Kelsey Plum, are all Caucasian. He shockingly said, “I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class,’” McAfee said minutes ago. “Nah, just call it for what it is — there’s one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a superstar.”

“Is there a chance that people just enjoy watching her play basketball because of how electrifying she is, what she did, what she stood for, how she went about going what she went for? Maybe,” he added. “But instead, we have to hear people say that we all like her ’cause she’s white and she’s only popular because the rest of the rookie class is doing what they’re doing.” Pat is walking back his statements but with his platform, he is allowed to pretty much do whatever he wants with no consequences. Overall, the Caitlin Clark discourse is getting toxic and people like McAffee are a big reason why.

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Pat McAfee Under Fire For Calling Caitlin Clark A “White B*tch” And Claiming The Treatment She Receives Is Racially Motivated

June 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The Caitlin Clark discourse continues to devolve and has become something of a toxic subject. Pat McAfee has now thrown his hat into the defense team for Caitlin Clark in a wild rant on his ESPN show. It was inevitable that Pat McAfee would talk about the incident on his TV program as soon as it was revealed that he was there at Saturday’s Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky game, which saw Sky player Chennedy Carter push Fever guard Caitlin Clark to the ground. McAfee attacked unidentified WNBA players and the media, defending Clark’s status as the lone superstar in the rookie class for about ten minutes. He used the terms “cash cow” and “one white b—- who is a superstar” to emphasize his points.

McAfee began the show by talking about how Clark has been the target of a lot of trash talk from players on other teams. He had a message for the sports media and former WNBA players. “There seems to be this notion that this whole evolution of success and popularity in the WNBA is because of this entire rookie class. I think there’s a chance Chennedy Carter thinks [Sky rookie forward] Angel Reese deserves all this credit. The media talks about how it’s the entire class,” McAfee said. He says that there is only one person in the rookie class who matters, and that is Caitlin Clark. He then went off the handle.

Pat McAfee Calls Caitlin Clark A “White B*tch”

Monday’s Pat McAfee Show opened with a Caitlin Clark PowerPoint:

“I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class’. Nah, just call it for what it is — there’s one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a superstar.” pic.twitter.com/psGNQXts5O

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 3, 2024

The unexpected statement from McAfee came just as he was about to conclude the program, though. He said, “I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class’. Nah, just call it for what it is — there’s one white b—- for the Indiana team who is a superstar.” using that language crosses a very hard line. It doesn’t matter if it’s a compliment or meant as a positive, it is disrespectful. Fans have been going at Pat McAffee since he made the shocking statements. WNBA referees and anonymous critics were the targets of McAfee’s subsequent tirades.

The WNBA is a majority-black league, but there have been white superstars plenty in the WNBA both past and present. The Caitlin Clark situation has created a discourse chamber that benefits form people who don’t really care about women’s basketball getting riled up about Clark. Overall, if this continues at this rate, the WNBA season will keep devolving into these same toxic talking points.

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Shannon Sharpe Goes Off On WNBA Players For Their Treatment Of Caitlin Clark And Angel Reese

June 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Chennedy Carter pushed Caitlin Clark hard on Saturday when she was waiting at the baseline to accept an inbound pass, sparking speculation about possible deliberate targeting of Clark. The basketball community has taken notice of Carter’s foul on Clark during the Indiana Fever’s most recent game against the Chicago Sky. Additionally, Alyssa Thomas targeted Angel Reese with a vicious flagrant foul that got her ejected from their game last week. Many new fans and pundits who are finally watching WNBA basketball have decried the treatment of the rookies that have come in, especially Caitlin Clark. Shannon Sharpe used some strong words when discussing how the league welcomes rookies.

Shannon Sharpe joined the outraged supporters, calling Carter’s play on Clark a “Bush League play.” Sharpe said that WNBA experienced players are “mad” at rookies like Clark and Reese because they are receiving more attention during an interview with Chad Johnson on the “Nightcap” program. This seems to be the big topic of discussion within the WNBA as thousands of new fans are keeping up with the game. Sharpe called out the vets of the league, echoing Charles Barkley and LeBron’s defense for Caitlin Clark, essentially calling all the other women in the league jealous.

Shannon Sharpe Defends Caitlin Clark And Angel Reese

@aviontheplumber Straight facts. #caitlinclark #angelreese @WNBA @Shannon Sharpe @The Shade Room #basketball ♬ original sound – Avión Plummer543

“That was not basketball … that’s Bush League. They are mad at Caitlin Clark, they are mad at Angel Reese because they are the Bird and Magic, and they are getting the attention. That was a Bush League play,” Shannon Sharpe told Johnson. Sharpe went on to say that the WNBA has never received as much attention as it has at the moment. He brought up A’Ja Wilson, the two-time MVP of the league, landing a footwear contract upon Clark’s arrival. It is kind of insulting to insinuate that a two-time MVP is only getting a deal because of Clark. There are already numerous women in the WNBA who have signature shoes.

Some of Caitlin Clark’s defending is warranted. Some are going a little overboard. Before Caitlin Clark was hit with a hard foul, she was seen chirping and getting in Chennedy Carter’s face. Caitlin Clark is a talented player but did a lot of “bush league” stuff in college to her credit. The difference is she was able to get away with it in college. But now she is finding it hard to get away with it in the WNBA. Overall, Shannon Sharpe thinks everyone is being unfair when, in reality, the conversation around her is bigger than anything going on on the court.

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