Elle Duncan just apologized to Sheryl Swoopes regarding her criticism of Caitlin Clark. Screen grab: ‘The Elle Duncan Show’
By Ben Axelrod on

On Thursday’s episode of The Elle Duncan Show, Elle Duncan took issue with comments Sheryl Swoopes had made regarding Caitlin Clark on her Queens of the Court podcast.

“I love her, but she’s wrong here,” Duncan said of comments Swoopes. “She had some thoughts. She’s had some thoughts previously about Caitlin. She would later have to apologize [for] those thoughts being uninformed… just being a little bit inflammatory and critical without any actual analysis. She apologized for that during the women’s college season and she’s now stepped in it again by saying that ‘Indiana is in the playoffs right now without Caitlin Clark’ by saying that, like, Katie Lou Samuelson’s really more integral in terms of two-way ability than Caitlin.

“It just feels like there’s something there and I’m not really sure what is not connecting for Sheryl.”

Duncan went on to speculate that Swoopes’ apparent issue with Clark could stem from the backlash she received for her previous criticism of the former Iowa superstar and expressed her belief that the WNBA legend’s feelings toward Clark are beginning to feel like “hate.”

There was just one problem: At no point did Swoopes say that Samuelson is more integral to the Fever than Clark is, nor did she definitively say that the Fever would be in the playoffs this season without Clark. Rather, the WNBA’s legends came in the context of her using the Fever’s overall talent level to make the case that Angel Reese is more deserving being named this season’s Rookie of the Year — a debate that Duncan admitted is a valid conversation.

As Duncan’s criticism of Swoopes’ comments proceeded to go viral, the three-time WNBA MVP and her co-host, Jordan Robinson, took to X to respond.

After apparently taking Robinson’s advice to listen to the entire podcast, Duncan took to X on Friday morning to admit that she had erred in not applying the proper context to Swoopes’ comments.

“I did the thing you aren’t supposed to do. I reacted to Sheryl Swoopes comments about Caitlin Clark based on quotes pulled for me by producers in the rundown,” Duncan wrote. “I should have LISTENED to the show. The same thing I IMPLORED CC fans to do when they were attacking me a couple months back 4 “hating” on her. I HATE that I’ve sent more vitriol her direction and I’m taking this BIG L! I’ve texted Sheryl the same thing. I will do better! I am sorry.”

Obviously, Duncan’s error isn’t the best look, even if her explanation is a plausible one. Ultimately, plenty of on-screen talent rely on producers to not just cultivate but also vet potential topics, and in this instance, that clearly didn’t happen in a manner that properly represented Swoopes’ comments.

Ultimately, however, it’s Duncan’s name that’s on the show and it’s a credit to her that she was willing to publicly take accountability so quickly. Considering her status as one of the leading voices in women’s basketball coverage, the SportsCenter anchor’s comments on such subjects go a long way toward shaping the public discourse surrounding the sport. And in this particular instance, she self-admittedly didn’t live up to her own standards.

[Elle Duncan on X]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod