USA Today columnist defends question that led to scolding from WNBA players union

Last week, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) called out USA Today’s Christine Brennan, saying she fueled “racist, homophobic and misogynistic vitriol” online following an interview with Connecticut Sun guard Dijonai Carrington.

Brennan asked Carrington if she intended to hit Caitlin Clark in the eye during a playoff series and then asked if she was laughing about it afterward. 

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Christine Brennan speaks at the SiriusXM Business Radio Broadcasts “Beyond The Game: Tackling Race” on Feb. 5, 2016, in San Francisco. (Kimberly White/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

The incident led to a scathing statement from the WNBPA, specifically mentioning Brennan and accusing her of “abus[ing] your privileges,” adding she does “not deserve the credentials issued to you.” 

The union also called on USA Today to take action, but it’s clear she has no regrets about her discussion with Carrington.

“The best thing I can do as a journalist is to try to give the athlete an opportunity, which I’ve done tens of thousands of times, to answer the question and tell us what she believes happened. That was literally it,” Brennan said Monday on CNN.

USA Today columnist Christine Brennan asks a question at a Team USA press conference during the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.  (Shanna Lockwood-USA Today Sports)

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“And as you know, first of all I’d ask that question 100 times out of 100, I’d ask it today, the athlete has every opportunity to then take that question and go with it any way she wants. And obviously she did. So that’s the opportunity that I think any journalist gives an athlete when you’re covering a story, to give them the opportunity to give their side of it.”

Brennan even challenged the WNBA, wondering if the league is “ready to handle some of this scrutiny.”

“That’s a question I would ask and say ‘yes they are,’ because these are wonderful women who have been in this spotlight for a long time,” Brennan continued. “But for some reason this has touched a nerve and I would say the other question I would ask, is that I would ask that question of a man and have for thousands of times in my career, asked tough questions of Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps and you name it. 

“Are they saying we cannot ask tough questions or in this case, not even a tough question, just a fair question of a female athlete?”

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark drives to the basket as Sun guard DiJonai Carrington defends, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Connecticut. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Brennan’s employer defended her in a statement, as well.

“Journalists ask questions and seek truth. At USA Today, our mission is to report in an unbiased manner,” the company wrote. “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.”

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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