Stephen A's Take: WNBA Diana Taurasi is a GOAT. Racism should not be tolerated in the WNBA or any sport.

Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.  Stephen A. comments on the WNBA season end for Diana Taurasi and Caitlin Clark, Alyssa Thomas calling out racist Indiana Fever fans,

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
On Wednesday night, Diana Tarassi walked off the court on
what might have been her final appearance in the WNBA
as the Lynks eliminated the Mercury with a one O
one eighty eight win. If Tarassi decides to retire, it
would be the end of an incredible twenty year professional run,
one that few athletes in basketball history have ever seen.

(00:24):
Let me tell you something, She's one of the great ones.
She's one of the great ones. She's a champion on
every single level. I don't have enough time to.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Turn you out.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
You'll see the screen right there. Three time WNBA champion
or right two tome NBAWNBA Finals, MVP, five times, six
time Olympic gold medalist. She's phenomenal. She's just phenomenal. Whenever
she walks away, she's a legend. She's a Hall of Famer.
She's all out of the bag of chips.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
I love Diana Tarassi and I'm gonna miss her. Thank
you for the wonderful years you have given us. That's
all I got to say about that. Let me transition
to the next subject, because meanwhile, in Tarasi's old Connecticut
stomping grounds, Caitlin Clark season with the Indiana Fever ended
with an eighty seven eighty one loss to the Connecticut

(01:09):
Connecticut Sun in Game two of their first round series. Afterwards,
five time w NBA All Star Lista Thomas did not
hold back when discussing the abuse she faced from Indiana
Fever fans. Take a listen.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
I think in my eleven year career, I've never experienced
the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base. It's unacceptable, honestly,
and yeah, there's no place for it. And we've been
professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I've never been
called the things that I've been called on social media

(01:42):
and there's no place for it.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Let me say this, I would encourage everybody to refer
to Thursday morning's episode of First Take on ESPN, where
Janey Ogoomika, who is an outstanding basketball analysts for the
network and also a former WNBA player, former WNBA Rookie

(02:05):
of the Year. By the way, she's friends with Alyssa
Thomas and went out of her way to highlight how
on the court. As ferocious as Thomas is off the court,
she's a quiet storm. She doesn't say much and doesn't
bother anybody and so for her to feel compelled to
speak out in the way that she spoke out shows
you how alarm and what she was saying has really

(02:25):
been and what attention needs to be brought to it.
Janey ogoom Makay listen to what she had to say.
As far as Alyssa Thomas goes, you are a wonderful,
wonderful woman. You are fabulous, and thank you for bringing
up the subject. Because if you are Caitlyn Clark fans,
there's no room for any kind of racism. Now I'm
not calling everybody racist. I'm not calling most folks, but
the few who are you know, who the hell you are,

(02:48):
Calm the hell down. Support Kaitlyn Clark because recognize that
when you act that way, you stain her name as
well because of your association to her. Not that anybody
would think that she thinks like that, but the point is,
what is your problem. She is a phenomenal, phenomenal talent
and an even better person. I happened to have met

(03:08):
and did an event with Caitlyn Clark. I think she's wonderful.
You don't have to act that way, particularly when you're
a fan base that represents her, and if you are
from the city of Indianapolis. If you are in Indiana,
ILL remind you all years ago Allen Iverson complained about
the same thing what he heard from those fans. She

(03:29):
does play for the Indiana Fever, So you need to
safeguard yourself from having or developing that kind of reputation.
I love going to Indiana to watch games because I
think it's an absolute great fan base. You gotta not act,
you gotta not act. I'm just gonna leave it at that.