ESPN ‘SportsCenter’ anchor Elle Duncan has retracted her earlier comments criticizing four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes for allegedly expressing negativity towards Caitlin Clark.
On Thursday, during her ‘Elle Duncan Show,’ Duncan claimed that Swoopes appeared to be ‘spreading hate’ towards Clark, responding to Swoopes’ remarks about the Fever rookie on her ‘Queens of the Court’ podcast.
The following day, Duncan issued a public apology on social media, acknowledging that she hadn’t fully listened to Swoopes’ comments before discussing them on her show.
“I did the thing you’re not supposed to do. I reacted to Sheryl Swoopes’ comments about Caitlin Clark based on quotes provided by producers in the rundown,” Duncan wrote on X. “I should have LISTENED to the show [Swoopes’ podcast]. I urged Caitlin Clark’s fans to do the same when they attacked me months ago for ‘hating’ on her. I regret adding to the negativity and am taking this as a major lesson.”
Duncan also texted Swoopes to apologize, stating, “I’ve texted Sheryl the same thing. I will do better! I am sorry.”
When an X user thanked Duncan for clarifying that it was the producers who influenced the narrative, Duncan responded, pointing out that she should have conducted her own thorough review of the topic before discussing it on her show.
Duncan clarified that the responsibility for accurate reporting lies with her, not the producers. She said, “Nope, not the producers’ fault either. They are putting together the entire show, and it’s the talent’s responsibility to do their own research.”
She admitted to rushing and reacting too quickly, stating, “This is MY L.” In a separate post, Duncan emphasized that while the podcast rundown is just a collection of notes, it was her duty to thoroughly research the topic: “The research should have been on ME. It’s my voice. I need to be responsible for what’s coming out of it.”
On Thursday’s episode, Duncan addressed Swoopes’ remarks about the competitive WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and the influence of both players on their teams’ playoff prospects.
The quote from Swoopes that Duncan referenced on her show was: “I don’t know if Chicago is in the playoffs right now without Angel [Reese]. Is Indiana in the playoffs right now without Caitlin? When you look at the overall team, like the pieces that they have, without question, Indiana has better players than Chicago from top to bottom. No doubt about it.”
The quote was part of a broader discussion between Swoopes and her co-host, Jordan Ligons Robinson, where they explained their reasoning behind their choice for Rookie of the Year.
Swoopes favored Angel Reese for Rookie of the Year, while Robinson chose Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Swoopes has been a long-time supporter of Reese, who was selected by the Sky with the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft.
Duncan criticized Swoopes, stating, “I love her, but she’s wrong here. She has had previous thoughts about Caitlin that were uninformed and a bit inflammatory without proper analysis. She apologized for those comments during the women’s college season, but now she’s stepped in it again by claiming ‘Indiana is in the playoffs right now without Caitlin Clark’ and suggesting that [Fever forward] Katie Lou Samuelson is more crucial in terms of two-way play than Caitlin.”
Duncan expressed confusion over Swoopes’ stance, saying, “I’m not really sure what’s not connecting with Sheryl and why… This doesn’t feel right at all and is starting to come across as a bit of hate from Sheryl. In this particular space, it seems unnecessary.”
Duncan added that if the Fever, who struggled last year, are making the playoffs this season, a significant part of that success is due to Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
However, Swoopes never suggested that Samuelson is more valuable than Clark to her team. In fact, Swoopes has previously praised Clark, saying, “Caitlin, her passing, her assists—insane! Her ability to see the floor and get the ball where it needs to be—chef’s kiss—beautiful!”