Sheryl Swoopes' Absence from WNBA Broadcast Sparks Controversy over Personal Bias

Former WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes' absence from the Dallas Wings' recent broadcast has raised eyebrows, with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith suggesting it may be due to her alleged personal feelings toward rising star Caitlin Clark. Swoopes' previous inaccurate statements about Clark's collegiate career have also come under scrutiny.

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Sheryl Swoopes' Absence from WNBA Broadcast Sparks Controversy over Personal Bias

Caitlin Clark's impressive performance for the Indiana Fever in their victory over the Dallas Wings on Sunday has been overshadowed by the absence of WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes from the broadcast. Swoopes, who was originally scheduled to serve as the Wings' color commentator, was replaced by Nancy Lieberman.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has speculated that Swoopes' absence was due to her personal bias against Clark. "What incriminates somebody like Sheryl Swoopes even more is that she was supposed to be calling the game with y'all yesterday, and she did not call the game," Smith said on "The Stephen A. Smith Show."

Sheryl Swoopes' Absence from WNBA Broadcast Sparks Controversy over Personal Bias

Smith refers to an incident where Clark scored 31 points and 12 assists in a win against Angel Reese's Chicago Sky last week, but Swoopes allegedly showed no interest in discussing it. "We recognize that, and we know in television the way that I do. I know what producers do, I know bosses do when you see your personal feelings, whatever they may be infiltrating the proceedings and compromising your position as a professional," Smith explained.

Swoopes has also been criticized for making inaccurate statements about Clark's collegiate career during an appearance on the "Gil's Arena" podcast in February. She claimed that Clark played five seasons in college and averaged over 40 shots per game, which were incorrect.

Sheryl Swoopes' Absence from WNBA Broadcast Sparks Controversy over Personal Bias

Clark has since broken the NCAA's all-time basketball points record in her senior year in 2023, playing only four seasons and averaging 22.7 shots per game.

Following the inaccurate statements, Swoopes reached out to Clark via text message apologizing for her mistake. "I wanted to personally reach out to you and say I made a mistake on what year this is for you, COVID year has me all confused," Swoopes wrote. She also expressed her respect for Clark's game and congratulated her on her accomplishments.

Sheryl Swoopes' Absence from WNBA Broadcast Sparks Controversy over Personal Bias

In an episode of her "Queens of the Court" podcast in August, Swoopes notably omitted Clark as a reason for the Fever's recent improvement. She praised other players but failed to acknowledge Clark's role as the team's leading scorer.

Smith criticized Swoopes' omission of Clark's contributions, calling it "insane." He stated that her lack of praise seemed personal and questioned her objectivity due to her basketball acumen. "What she's not realizing is that when she doesn't state the obvious it's automatically going to be assumed that it's something personal, because we know you know the basketball game, the game of basketball too well to ignore the kind of things that she's ignoring when it comes to Caitlin Clark," Smith said.

Swoopes responded to Smith's comments on X, stating that she has a personal relationship with the players and that they deserve recognition as well. She questioned why Smith would criticize her for not discussing Clark on her podcast.

The absence of Sheryl Swoopes from the Dallas Wings broadcast has sparked controversy, with some suggesting it may be due to her personal bias against Caitlin Clark. Swoopes' inaccurate statements about Clark's career, omission of her contributions, and her response to criticism have further raised questions about her objectivity.