Stephen A Smith 'Disgusted' With Sue Bird Calling Him Out Over WNBA Playoff Ratings Without Caitlin Clark
During an October 9 episode of the "A Touch More" podcast with WNBA legend Sue Bird and her partner (and soccer legend) Megan Rapinoe, Bird blasted ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe for criticizing the WNBA about its playoff viewership declining after Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever were eliminated in the first round.
"Viewership numbers with Caitlin Clark are astronomical. She is a big draw, she brings in all the things," Bird said to Rapinoe in the podcast.
"And yes, the games where she's not playing have lower viewership... But in the WNBA [Semifinals]... where Caitlin obviously is not in it cause her team lost, are still breaking records from previous WNBA years.
"So these numbers are still really high, and they're still really meaningful," Bird continued. "And yet some people continue to flip that... I've seen Stephen A. Smith talk about it, I've seen Shannon Sharpe talk about it. And what I don't understand is, they work for ESPN. So why are you hating on a [business] ESPN is in?"
Countless people (and even media sites!) have been framing the WNBA semifinals viewership numbers in a negative light, even when those numbers are up/setting records in a big way over last year and previous years.
— Lyndsey D'Arcangelo 🏀 (@darcangel21) October 9, 2024
I don't get it.
Neither does Sue Bird: pic.twitter.com/pncisCCq9g
Stephen A. Smith clearly didn't take kindly to this criticism. And he responded to Bird's words during "The Stephen A. Smith Show" on Saturday.
"To be quite honest with you, I'm disgusted," Smith said of Bird's comments about him. "I'm disgusted with Sue Bird, okay?... I love her, but I don't appreciate this article that I read, okay? When it came to her talking about yours truly. Because, far be it, these are the headlines, y'all: Sue Bird Calls Out ESPN Hosts For 'Hating On' WNBA Playoff Ratings After Caitlin Clark's Exit.
"Why? Why, y'all? Really? This is where we have to go? Can we put our quotes up on the screen please? Because I want everybody to know what she said," Smith continued before reading Bird's aforementioned comments.
"I'm going to dial it back and be as respectful as I can possibly be... I'm only addressing her points about me, and what she said in relation to the whole Caitlin Clark story. Respectfully, Sue Bird, you are inaccurate. It is just that simple," Smith said.
He then goes on to discuss how he covers sports and is at liberty to discuss all stories that pertain to sports. He then rattles off a number of controversial sports stories he has covered over the years.
"The story is the story, Sue Bird! What was Stephen A. Smith and Shannon guilty of exactly?... We were saying, do y'all see these numbers?" Smith said before detailing all of the metrics that show Clark's massive impact on the WNBA and the Fever this season.
"What Shannon and I were saying it that now enough folks were appreciating it, and riding the tide" Smith added.
Smith didn't stop there either.
Our initial article on Bird's comments clearly opened up a can of worms.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.