The tennis legend Martina Navratilova is speaking out to defend the Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark after she was on the receiving end of a hard foul from Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter on Saturday night. As she did this, Carter also appeared to call Clark a “b****.”
Check out the controversial moment for yourself in the video below.
Navratilova Defends Clark
Navratilova fired back by calling out WNBA players for the way they are treating Clark.
“The players in the WNBA need to realize that (Caitlin) Clark is helping all of them, now and in the long run. (Caitlin) is the tide that will raise all boats!” Navratilova wrote on social media, according to Fox News.
Navratilova went on to say that she believes that Clark will only benefit the WNBA financially with her popularity. When another social media user responded by calling out Clark’s own trash talking during Saturday’s game, Navratilova wasn’t having any of it.
“I never said she was a saint,” she fired back. “I was calling out a dirty play, which was also stupid. If you want to go after someone, do it from the front. That’s all. Better yet – block their shots and win the game – that’s the best revenge.”
Related: Paige Spiranac Defends Caitlin Clark – ‘A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats’
Clark Responds To Carter
Clark has admitted that she was shocked by what Carter did to her.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Clark told The Associated Press. “It is what it is. It’s a physical game. Go make the free throw and execute on offense, and I feel like that’s kind of what we did.”
“I grew up playing basketball with the boys,” she added. “It’s always been physical and feisty and you have to find a way to hold your own.”
Thankfully, Clark got the last laugh. Indiana Fever beat Chicago Sky 71-70, snapping a three-game losing streak. This was also the Fever’s first home win of the season. Clark totaled 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one steal.
The next day, after reviewing the play, WNBA officials upgraded the foul to a Flagrant I.
Carter Has ‘No Regrets’
Despite all of this, Carter still says she has “no regrets” about what went down.
“I’m going to compete and play 100% hard no matter who it is or who we’re playing,” Carter said, according to Fox News.
Carter went on to say that she has “no complaints” about the backlash that she and the Sky have been hit with.
“We’ve been able to take a lot of hits in the last 24, 48 hours. I’m over here smiling,” she continued. “I’m not complaining. … At the end of the day, it’s all love outside of basketball. When we’re in those four lines, it’s smoke. After, it’s all love.”
Watch Carter talk more about this in the video below.
Related: Chennedy Carter Launches New Attack On Caitlin Clark – ‘What Does She Bring To The Table’
Many have argued that Clark’s fellow WNBA players are jealous about the attention that she has received. The way Carter has been behaving certainly adds credence to that line of thinking.
In the end, Clark is bringing more eyes to the WNBA than ever before. Perhaps her fellow players should heed Navratilova’s advice and be a little more grateful for that.
More about:WNBA
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