Stephen A. Smith called out Sheryl Swoopes as being immature following her response to the First Take host’s criticism of her ongoing grudge with Caitlin Clark.
This new front in Swoopes’ war against Clark began when the WNBA legend had been analyzing a winning streak by the Indiana Fever and went out of her way to give everybody on the team credit for the turnaround except for their point guard.
Smith got wind of the commentary, calling it “insane” and suggesting Swoopes was fueling those who already believe she harbors jealousy and resentment towards the rookie.
Swoopes replied in kind with a tirade that failed to address the fact that yes, her commentary was insane, and instead ripped Smith as a “coward.”
“There’s been some haterade thrown in her direction,” Smith said of Swoopes. “Because there’s no excuse to have resentment towards her.”
“And see, we don’t want to address the big elephant in the room, but we ain’t gonna run from it today because Sheryl Swoopes made news,” he continued. “Now, she made news last week when she sat up there and was applauding Indiana Fever players but then forgot to mention Caitlin Clark.”
RELATED: Fans Rip Sheryl Swoopes After She Posts Private Text Messages With Caitlin Clark
Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Swoopes’ Immaturity Regarding Clark
Stephen A. Smith proceeded to blast Swoopes for the deeply personal comments volleyed in his direction.
“You talk about whomever and whatever you want to on your podcast. Correct? So why can’t I?” Swoopes demanded to know in a tirade on X.
“Also, did you listen to the ENTIRE episode? NOPE! I have a personal relationship with these players and they deserve recognition as well.”
In not recognizing how she blatantly went out of her way to diss Caitlin Clark, Swoopes addressed Smith as a “coward”.
“She jumped all in my […] because I sat up there and said, ‘Hey, how you gonna ignore Caitlin Clark? You know what she brings to the table. How you just gonna ignore her?’” he responded. “That’s not an accident.”
“So, then after that, Sheryl Swoopes engages in levels of immaturity; there’s no way to slice it. I’m not gonna insult this champion, this great basketball mind, this phenomenally accomplished Hall of Famer. I’m not gonna insult her,” he said.
“All I’m gonna say is it was pretty damn immature to come back at me like that. Call me an effing coward because I called you out for not doing your job? So, you on a podcast that means you don’t have to do your job?”
Smith concluded, “The bottom line is this: she engages in a level of immaturity. Let’s just call it what it is.”
RELATED: Sheryl Swoopes Rips Stephen A. Smith As a ‘Coward’ After He Calls Out Her Comments On Caitlin Clark
Immaturity Off The Charts
For once, Stephen A. Smith is not wrong. Sheryl Swoopes’ immaturity has been advancing with the ongoing Caitlin Clark feud.
Since calling Smith a “coward” and providing WNBA analysis without acknowledging the biggest star in the world today, Swoopes has:
- Gone silent for an awkward amount of time while her co-host mentioned Clark’s Player of the Week honors.
- Posted private text messages between her and the Fever rookie to prove she apologized to her for spreading misinformation about her scoring record.
- Ended a friendship with fellow Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman because the latter sided with Clark on the scoring record controversy.
Petty. Immature. Jealousy. It’s all of these things.
It’ll be interesting to see how Swoopes responds to Smith’s latest comments.
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