meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
ESPN Daily

The WNBA’s Identity Debate Began Long Before Caitlin Clark

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.63.9K Ratings

🗓️ 13 June 2024

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The first month of the WNBA season has been full of compelling on-court storylines. The Connecticut Sun look ready to contend for a title. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces have struggled to find their footing with veteran Chelsea Gray injured. But all of that is getting crowded out by one big distraction –– a debate over whether or not the league is being fair to its megastar rookie, Cailtin Clark. Chennedy Carter’s hard foul on Clark last week is the match that lit the flame, but the firestorm had been brewing long before that. So today, Elle Duncan, host of ESPN’s women’s basketball coverage, is here to help understand how we got here, unpack what’s really going on in this conversation, and gauge if and when we can get back to actual basketball. Check out ‘The Elle Duncan Show’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:14.2

All right L Duncan, welcome. We're going to switch things up a little bit here. I know on this show, usually I ask the questions, the guest comes on, the answer. I figured what would be a more effective way to do daily today was if you just relaxed and let me explain women's sports too for a while. Oh please thank you please

0:19.3

man explain it to me because I'm so confused. Happy to do so, happy to impart all the wisdom

0:24.8

that I have for you, L Duncan.

0:26.4

In all seriousness, as the lead anchor of ESPN's

0:30.4

women's basketball coverage,

0:31.8

how are you holding up with all of this contentiousness and everything going on?

0:35.9

How are you like actually feeling? I feel like I have run a marathon

0:41.6

while also being continuously hit by a car the whole entire way I was running.

0:47.0

I actually feel a little bit naive because I was of the like riding the good vibes and

0:59.2

good feels from the women's tournament in college basketball and the unprecedented

1:04.4

ratings and I just I really honestly believe I was stepping into a W space

1:09.3

that would feel a lot different than it feels right now. The discussion about Caitlin Clark

1:13.8

needs to be much more nuanced and it needs to be honest and it's not honest.

1:18.8

You have people with all kinds of agendas and people are afraid.

1:21.6

And the other girls in the league are delighted for her success.

1:24.4

I'm joking, of course.

1:25.4

They fucking hate her and they've been...

1:30.9

Y'all petty girls. I expect me to be petty because we're the most insecure group in the world.

1:37.0

Y'all should be thinking that girl again y'all's private charters.

1:41.0

You have to be careful about the words that you put out there. The word

1:45.6

hating, the word jealous, those are words, those are triggering words for women.

1:52.4

It feels exhausting. It feels like yet

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from ESPN, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of ESPN and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.