Women's Fastbreak On SI

USA Today Defends Reporter Christine Brennan From Scathing WNBA Criticism

The women's basketball community is at odds over a controversial question USA Today reporter Christine Brennan asked DiJonai Carrington earlier this week.

Grant Young

Sep 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Brionna Jones (42) Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) talk with teammates in the fourth quarter during game one of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Brionna Jones (42) Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) talk with teammates in the fourth quarter during game one of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images / Mark Smith-Imagn Images

USA Today reporter Christine Brennan caused a lot of controversy over social media Tuesday when she questioned Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington about her poking Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark's eye during Game 1 of the Fever vs. Sun WNBA playoff series.

"When you went and kind of swatted at Caitlin, did you intend to hit her in the eye? And if so, could you just, or if not, either way, could you talk about what happened on that play?" Brennan asked Carrington.

Brennan was criticized because she was accused of pushing the narrative that had been spreading online about Carrington intentionally poking Clark's eye, which was seen as disrespectful to many members of the WNBA community.

This question prompted enough outrage that it caused the WNBA's Players Association (WNBPA) to release a statement regarding Brennan's question over X.

"To unprofessional members of the media like Christine Brennan: You are not fooling anyone," the statement wrote. "That so-called interview in the name of journalism was a blatant attempt to bait a professional athlete into participating into a narrative that is false and designed to fuel racist, homophobic, and misogynistic vitriol on social media.

"You cannot hide behind your tenure," the statement added.

"Instead of demonstrating the cornerstones of journalism ethics like integrity, objectivity, and a fundamental commitment to truth, you have chosen to be indecent and downright insincere."

Not all of the media condoned this personal attack on Brennan, as USA Today (who employs Brennan) came out with a clear defense of their reporter soon after the WNBPA's statement was released.

"Journalists ask questions and seek truth. At USA TODAY, our mission is to report in an unbiased manner. We reject the notion that the interview perpetuated any narrative other than to get the player's perspective directly. Christine Brennan is well regarded as an advocate for women and athletes, but first and foremost, she's a journalist," the response wrote.

Time will tell whether the WNBPA elects to respond to this retort.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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.

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