"Those girls do not like Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham," Barkley said, referring to the other players in the WNBA and their feelings toward two of the league’s most popular players.But Barkley didn’t think it was all about race."Without regard for race, they just don’t like them," Barkley added.Charles Barkley says WNBA players dislike Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, blaming a mix of jealousy, race, and sexuality for the hostility.
(Getty Images)Barkley made those comments on "The Michael Smerconish Program" while the two discussed what Barkley called the WNBA’s "awful year." One of the incidents the pair talked about was DiJonai Carrington’s Flagrant 2 foul on Cunningham during the Aug.8 game between the Fever and Chicago Sky.WNBA SUDDENLY WANTS TO STICK TO BASKETBALL AFTER YEARS OF MAKING POLITICS PART OF THE PRODUCTCarrington delivered a vicious blow to Cunningham's head as the Fever guard attempted a fast-break layup.
Cunningham was left with a bloody mouth following the contact.Referees reviewed the play, upgraded the call from a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2 and ejected Carrington.Shortly after her ejection, Carrington posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on social media and tagged the Fever.
She later said she never claimed the Flagrant 2 itself was the result of white privilege, though she didn't explain what prompted the post.Cunningham called the foul "unnecessary," said she had "no beef" with Carrington, then called it intentional and accused Carrington of seeking attention.Smerconish said he went looking for data on whether hard fouls between Black and White WNBA players occur more often than they should.He said he found a peer-reviewed study suggesting they happen at the rate one would expect, which led him to argue that the media is what turns those incidents into racial controversies.Barkley didn’t buy it."No, no, you’re wrong, though," Barkley said.
"The reason they made it black and white [was] when that girl tweeted ‘white privilege....