Chennedy Carter insists she has ‘no regrets’ about her brutal bodycheck on Caitlin Clark as the Chicago Sky player addressed the incident directly for the first time.
Carter also claimed that her shove on Clark, which has drawn huge criticism and attention in recent days, came after she was hit in the head moments earlier.
The 25-year-old appeared to yell ‘you b***h’ at the former Iowa star before knocking her to the ground. The Chicago player then refused to answer questions about Clark immediately after Saturday’s loss to the Indiana Fever.
But following practice on Monday, she said: ‘I don’t have any regrets with anything. I’m going to compete and play 100 per cent hard – no matter who it is or who we’re playing.’
Carter said she acted in the ‘heat of the moment’ and was simply retaliating. Footage appears to show Clark catching the guard with her elbow moments before she was knocked to the ground.
Caitlin Clark was inexplicably bodychecked to the ground by Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter
The Chicago player addressed the incident directly for the first time after practice on Monday
‘I think I got hit in the head the play before and it was just one of those things that was in the heat of the moment. I don’t know Caitlin. I don’t know her from anyone but at the end of the day this is hoops, it is competitive,’ she said.
‘This is basketball, if you’re playing someone like me, I classify myself as a dawg. So if you’re going to throw a punch, I’m going to compete with you.
Carter added: ‘When we’re inside those four lines, it’s smoke. After it’s all love… we didn’t hit her like she was out on the streets. It’s just basketball.’
The 25-year-old, who received the backing of Whoopi Goldberg on Monday, was asked if she now accepted that her actions had crossed a line.
Even Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon publicly criticized the play, insisting it was ‘not appropriate’.
But Carter insisted: ‘There’s no line. I’m competing. I’m going to compete… if you’re going to throw punches first, I’m going to compete. It’s all love. It’s basketball.
‘This happens in the NBA. Actually, I’m focused on New York (Liberty) now, I’m not really focused on that play anymore. It happened… it’s over with.’
Clark and Carter clashed on Saturday as the Fever defeated the Sky in a close-fought battle
Carter even claimed that the incident will bring rival players ‘closer together’ and is , in fact, good for the WNBA.
‘This is a moment that brings everyone closer and gives the league a chance to unify,’ she continued. ‘All that stuff that happened, it’s really just great for our league. It’s great competition. We’re two great players competing on a national stage… it’s all love.’
She did, however, hit out at the fallout from the incident, which has barely relented in the days following Indiana’s victory.
‘We’ve been able to take a lot of hits in the last 24, 48 hours. I’m over here smiling, I’m not complaining,’ she said.
‘I don’t know why we’re dragging it. But we continue to drag a play that happened and a whole fourth quarter happened after that… we just have to let that play go.’
Earlier this week, though, Carter took another shot at Clark, writing on social media: ‘Kudos to all of this women they have really made WNBA interesting… beside three point shooting what does (Clark) bring to the table man’
‘I ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions,’ Carter said at the podium following the game
When asked about those comments she said: ‘As you see everybody went on social media and let us know their opinions… it’s all fun. I don’t really take it serious. It’s just jokes.
Carter added: ‘It has become a big national story – we’ve had things thrown into hoops like racism and different things thrown to players that shouldn’t have even been brought up.
‘This is the game I love, this is the game I’m passionate about and at the end of the day, I’m thankful I’m able to display it to everybody. And if you’re gonna watch the game, watch all of the game before you make opinions.
‘Just watch the whole game and get to know the players… I’ve seen a lot of fans just not understanding who I am as a player. You have to understand me as a person too and don’t just look at one tape and form an opinion about me.’
VIDEO: Angel Reese Finally Addresses Teammate Chennedy Carter’s Dirty Body Check On Caitlin Clark
Angel Reese has offered her first comments on the Chennedy Carter-Caitlin Clark cheap shot incident that took place on Saturday.
Late in the third quarter of the contest between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, Carter delivered a cheap shot to Clark. Fans noticed that Angel Reese celebrated right after Carter’s hit that drew a foul (the WNBA later upgraded it to a flagrant foul):
Angel Reese jumping off the bench to cheer for the cheap shot on Caitlin Clark is wild.
It’s not a good look, Angel…
— ✭ Lacy ✭ (@FBCowboysQueen) June 1, 2024
Speaking to reporters about the cheap shot, Angel Reese defended her teammate and showed no regret over her reaction to Carter’s hit on Clark. Reese added that she’s fine embracing “the bad guy role”, via GN Sports TV.
“The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that.”
Chicago head coach Teresa Weatherspoon stated after the game that the hit on Clark was just a case of the two athletes competing. However, she later put out a statement and said it was “not appropriate.”
Angel Reese believes the physical play that Caitlin Clark has experienced isn’t new to the WNBA
Just more 👀
“The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of 1 person. It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that”
More: https://t.co/3fNUxipTTD pic.twitter.com/1YbGG4mWuL
— GNSportsTV (@GNSportsTV) June 3, 2024
🤗 Go Sky 🩵💛 pic.twitter.com/a235c9LXm9
— Chennedy Carter’s Leg Sleeve (@TweenTween3) June 3, 2024
The rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark dates back to the 2023 national championship game, when the former led the LSU Tigers to a 102-85 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Reese infamously mocked Clark in the waning moments of the game by mimicking John Cena’s ‘You can’t see me” gesture. Clark had performed the gesture to an opponent earlier on.
Clark and the Fever escaped Saturday’s contest with a close 71-70 win to pick up their first home win of the season. Clark finished the night with 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one steal.
Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark Will Meet Again Soon
Fans who have come to love the rivalry between Reese and Clark won’t have to wait too long for the next chapter, as the Sky will visit the Fever again on June 16.
That will be the second of four 2024 regular season meetings between Chicago and the Fever. They will square off again on June 23 in Chicago and again in the Windy City on Aug. 30.
