NBA, led by Commissioner Adam Silver, remains tight-lipped over the WNBA's decision to bar our website from covering Brittney Griner's matches.
OutKick Gets the Cold Shoulder from the WNBA
The WNBA has spread a chill our way, refusing to grant our sportswriters access to cover Atlanta Dream games. The league cites lack of "ample space" as the reason, but we call bullshit.
Let's be real here. WNBA games in June aren't exactly the Super Bowl. They don't draw hordes of reporters from every corner of the country. So, what's the issue with accommodating us for regular-season Atlanta Dream matches?
Take the Connecticut Sun, for instance. They gave OutKick several media credentials last season, even extending them a playoff game featuring the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark. But suddenly, the Sun's cold towards us - all thanks to one woman: Brittney Griner.
Griner's in the middle of a storm over a viral video where she seems to utter a pretty derogatory comment from the bench during a game against the Fever. And the WNBA doesn't want us asking her about it.
Here's the clip:
Brittney Griner Controversy
For context, the WNBA kicked off the season with a "no space for hate" campaign, claiming a "zero tolerance for racism." They've already spent 10 days investigating a dubious claim of racist chants towards Angel Reese. (The league came up empty-handed.) Yet when it comes to Griner's questionable comments, the WNBA has shown zero interest in investigating, let alone commenting. We've reached out to the league several times for their take, but crickets.
We also tried contacting Griner's management team, but no luck there either.
The thing is, OutKick is a heavyweight in sports media. Shunning us is a bad look for the WNBA. Looks like they'd rather avoid tough questions than face the music.
So, we reached out to the NBA last Friday.
The NBA still owns 42% of the WNBA, making it the highest stakeholder. If the WNBA is denying us access, shouldn't the NBA have something to say about it? After all, the WNBA wouldn't exist without the NBA's financial backing. But the NBA and Adam Silver's PR office didn't return our calls.
Funny thing is, the NBA's been hounding us since 2019 over our ratings coverage. Suddenly, they don't wanna chat. There's something fishy here.
The truth is, the NBA and the WNBA are two-faced. They preach fighting racism, but only when it's convenient. For instance, back in 2020, the NBA emblazoned "Black Lives Matter" on the court, but said nothing when Montrez Harrell called Luka Doncic a "bitch ass white boy." The hypocrisy is staggering.
And the sports media? Most of them are just fine with this double standard.
As of now, no credentialed WNBA reporter has asked Griner about the video. No one's delved into the Angel Reese TikTok incident where she mocked Caitlin Clark either. The WNBA's hand-picked a pool of journalist-wannabes, zeroing in on lapdogs rather than watchdogs.
So, of course, they won't credential us. Let's face it - Griner can't explain her actions in that video. You can read her lips: "Trash. F*cking. White. Girl." And the WNBA knows it.
- OutKick's sportswriters are barred from covering Atlanta Dream games in the WNBA, despite the league's claim of lack of space.
- The WNBA's refusal to accommodate OutKick for regular-season Atlanta Dream matches is unusual, especially considering that the Connecticut Sun granted them media credentials last season.
- The WNBA's indifference towards investigating Brittney Griner's controversial comments in a viral video is puzzling, considering their zero-tolerance policy towards racism.
- The NBA, who owns 42% of the WNBA, remains silent on the WNBA's denial of OutKick's access, despite their vocal interest in criticism related to ratings coverage in the past.
