On Thursday’s episode of The Elle Duncan Show, Elle Duncan took issue with comments Sheryl Swoopes had made regarding Caitlin Clark on her Queens of the Court podcast.
“I love her, but she’s wrong here,” Duncan said of comments Swoopes. “She had some thoughts. She’s had some thoughts previously about Caitlin. She would later have to apologize [for] those thoughts being uninformed… just being a little bit inflammatory and critical without any actual analysis. She apologized for that during the women’s college season and she’s now stepped in it again by saying that ‘Indiana is in the playoffs right now without Caitlin Clark’ by saying that, like, Katie Lou Samuelson’s really more integral in terms of two-way ability than Caitlin.
It just feels like there’s something there and I’m not really sure what is not connecting for Sheryl.”
Duncan went on to speculate that Swoopes’ apparent issue with Clark could stem from the backlash she received for her previous criticism of the former Iowa superstar and expressed her belief that the WNBA legend’s feelings toward Clark are beginning to feel like “hate.”
ALERT*** Elle Duncan CALLS OUT Sheryl Swoopes for her hateful comments on @CaitlinClark22 MUST WATCH! #wnba #feverrising #caitlinclark pic.twitter.com/S5jdGXxnKi
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) August 1, 2024
There was just one problem: At no point did Swoopes say that Samuelson is more integral to the Fever than Clark is, nor did she definitively say that the Fever would be in the playoffs this season without Clark. Rather, the WNBA’s legends came in the context of her using the Fever’s overall talent level to make the case that Angel Reese is more deserving being named this season’s Rookie of the Year — a debate that Duncan admitted is a valid conversation.
As Duncan’s criticism of Swoopes’ comments proceeded to go viral, the three-time WNBA MVP and her co-host, Jordan Robinson, took to X to respond.
Welp! According to Sheryl Swoopes, Elle Duncan is spreading misinformation!😂 @elleduncanESPN did you listen to the podcast for yourself?
#WNBA pic.twitter.com/BZ08X5vI6T
— TheW360 (@TheW360_) August 2, 2024
Hi 🙂 There's a lot of weirdness going on with our latest episode of Queens of the Court. Let's provide some context, shall we?
1. I beg you to LISTEN to the full episode or, hell, even just the ROY segment. It's from 35:40 to 49:00. And subscribe while you're there 😘
2.…
— Jordan Robinson (@HeyJordanR) August 2, 2024
After apparently taking Robinson’s advice to listen to the entire podcast, Duncan took to X on Friday morning to admit that she had erred in not applying the proper context to Swoopes’ comments.
“I did the thing you aren’t supposed to do. I reacted to Sheryl Swoopes comments about Caitlin Clark based on quotes pulled for me by producers in the rundown,” Duncan wrote. “I should have LISTENED to the show. The same thing I IMPLORED CC fans to do when they were attacking me a couple months back 4 “hating” on her. I HATE that I’ve sent more vitriol her direction and I’m taking this BIG L! I’ve texted Sheryl the same thing. I will do better! I am sorry.”
I did the thing you aren’t supposed to do. I reacted to Sheryl Swoopes comments about Caitlin Clark based on quotes pulled for me by producers in the rundown. I should have LISTENED to the show. The same thing I IMPLORED CC fans to do when they were attacking me a couple months…
— Elle Duncan (@elleduncanESPN) August 2, 2024
Obviously, Duncan’s error isn’t the best look, even if her explanation is a plausible one. Ultimately, plenty of on-screen talent rely on producers to not just cultivate but also vet potential topics, and in this instance, that clearly didn’t happen in a manner that properly represented Swoopes’ comments.
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