If you thought WNBA players would be happy about the newfound attention and success that has recently come to the league, you’d be wrong.
DiJonai Carrington, a Connecticut Sun player nobody knew about until she mocked Kaitlyn Clark for exaggerating a foul, spoke out visibly upset on Sunday after Kaitlyn Clark’s Fever beat the Chicago Sky in the most-watched WNBA game in the past 23 years.
“Sorry to all you new fans, but you can’t just ‘shut up and dribble’ here. You picked the wrong league,” Carrington wrote.
Unfortunately for you new fans, we’re not just here to “shut up and dribble”. Looks like you picked the wrong league 🙁🙁🙁
— Dijonai Carrington♛ (@DijonaiVictoria) June 17, 2024
Reactions to her post went viral.
Good for you. I’ll try not to watch your boring games from now on.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 18, 2024
It’s unfortunate, but fans don’t have to stay silent.
We can also speak our minds.
Whether they like it or not, fans are welcome to share their opinions.
Fan support generates revenue for the league, and the W’s should embrace all the new eyes they bring to the league.
— just1n (@just1nvest) June 17, 2024
Now Caitlin runs the league.
— G. Multani (@geemultani24) June 17, 2024
It’s an interesting marketing strategy to actively hope people don’t watch your league, Cotton, we’ll see how that goes.
But Carrington needn’t worry: before she mocked Caitlin Clark, no one knew who she was, remember?
— Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) June 10, 2024
In fact, Carrington was booed on her home court during the game, so she doesn’t have to worry about “the fans.” The next time someone (outside of friends and relatives) buys a ticket or turns on the TV to watch her, it will be the first time.
The WNBA has relied on corporate welfare for so long that some of the players have a genuine disdain for the people who make money from it. They really hate the attention the league brings to them, because for the first time, there’s a lot of pressure being put on them to act like professionals. Instead of acting like they’re contributing to the world by playing women’s basketball that no one watches, they have to actually act like adults.
Mr. Dijonay, I am sorry about your life.
Clearly, judging by the actions of its players, the league was not ready for the spotlight.
But Caitlin Clark was ready, and she’s the only person in the entire organization that really matters.
