Ex-ESPN host Elle Duncan bashed for airing her Caitlin Clark opinion
Ex-ESPN host Elle Duncan bashed for airing her Caitlin Clark opinion
Joseph McBrideSun, August 2, 2026 at 3:49 PM UTC
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Elle Duncan has shared a controversial opinion about Caitlin Clark -Credit:2025 Getty Images
Caitlin Clark has established a huge fan base since rising to fame through her basketball skills, but former ESPN host Elle Duncan has been called out for suggesting that the WNBA should do more to deter hateful messages.
Since joining the WNBA, Clark has been loyally defended by her fans when it comes to foul calls, controversy, and rivalries with other players. Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas claimed she received online abuse after fouling Clark, and others also spoke out about their experiences.
However, the affected WNBA stars have criticized league commissioner Cathy Engelbert for her hesitance to step in and not Clark. Duncan has other ideas and suggested that Clark should order her fans to stop using her to spread hate. Meanwhile, Sophie Cunningham reacted to 'distraction' claims over her trans comments.
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Clark is the face of the WNBA, and with that fame comes major influence. Clark has gone to great lengths to inspire young women during her career, but a certain percentage of her fan base has gained an unwanted reputation for being hurtful online.
During a recent appearance on The Sports Gossip Show, Duncan, a former ESPN host, said that Clark should speak out to try to deter fans from spreading hate. "I would love for it to be very clear to the people who think they are her fans but are using her," Duncan said.
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"If she would say, ‘stop that (expletive), I don’t want it, I’m tired of it.' As opposed to what we’ve seen, which is ‘the media makes up these narratives, the media makes up this discourse.'
"That’s not true. The media highlights the stories, and they show it, but at the same time, like, the media did not make up that members of Congress are trying to get literal government intervention into whether you get fouled too hard. Like, this stuff has to stop."
However, when Clark joined the WNBA in 2024, she sent a message to her supporters. "People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It's disappointing. It's not acceptable," Clark said.
"Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect. I think it's just a basic human thing that everybody should do."
Caitlin Clark has promoted inclusion since joining the WNBA -Credit:Getty Images
It's been two years since then, and Clark has seen her status grow exponentially. She's been under the spotlight since her WNBA debut, and she admitted that the media scrutiny and fan attention have been exhausting.
"I think a lot of it is not always based in reality," Clark told ESPN. "I feel like media and journalism have a responsibility to tell the stories, and a lot of the time, you guys are the ones controlling the narratives about what people read and what people talk about.
"And a lot of that is sometimes so far out of touch with what is reality. And that can be confusing to somebody that’s 24 and trying to navigate life and trying to help her team win a championship."
Clark's Indiana Fever are 19-10 on the season, placing them fourth in the WNBA standings. The Minnesota Lynx are dominating the league with a 24-6 record.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
