Charles Barkley says WNBA players 'just don't like' Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham

Charles Barkley didn’t mince words while talking about Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and the WNBA.

"Those girls do not like Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham," Barkley said, referring to the other players in the WNBA and their feelings toward two of the league’s most popular players. But Barkley didn’t think it was all about race.

"Without regard for race, they just don’t like them," Barkley added.

Barkley made those comments on "The Michael Smerconish Program" while the two discussed what Barkley called the WNBA’s "awful year." One of the incidents the pair talked about was DiJonai Carrington’s Flagrant 2 foul on Cunningham during the Aug. 8 game between the Fever and Chicago Sky.

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Carrington delivered a vicious blow to Cunningham's head as the Fever guard attempted a fast-break layup. Cunningham was left with a bloody mouth following the contact. Referees reviewed the play, upgraded the call from a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2 and ejected Carrington.

Shortly after her ejection, Carrington posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on social media and tagged the Fever. She later said she never claimed the Flagrant 2 itself was the result of white privilege, though she didn't explain what prompted the post.

Cunningham called the foul "unnecessary," said she had "no beef" with Carrington, then called it intentional and accused Carrington of seeking attention.

Smerconish said he went looking for data on whether hard fouls between Black and White WNBA players occur more often than they should. He said he found a peer-reviewed study suggesting they happen at the rate one would expect, which led him to argue that the media is what turns those incidents into racial controversies.

Barkley didn’t buy it.

"No, no, you’re wrong, though," Barkley said. "The reason they made it black and white [was] when that girl tweeted ‘white privilege.’ That was stupid on her part."

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Barkley called it "a dirty play. Period." He said Carrington’s post turned it into a racial argument.

"When you turn stuff to the internet, all the race hustlers start coming out. We have a ton of race hustlers out there, White and Black. Let me repeat that. White and Black," Barkley said.

Smerconish then brought up Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, whose rivalry came with obvious racial undertones but helped turn the NBA into a massive national product. Barkley agreed those undertones existed. He said the difference was that Bird and Johnson respected each other.

"There was always respect," Barkley said, before repeating himself for emphasis. "There was always respect."

Barkley didn't accuse Carrington, or any other WNBA player, of racism. He did, however, offer his own theory for the hostility toward Clark and Cunningham.

"I’m not gonna get on here and call somebody a racist because I don’t have any proof," Barkley said. "Whether it’s race, sexuality, or whatever, there’s something going on there."

He said Clark and Cunningham are simply good players, but he believes the resentment toward them comes from a mix of factors.

"She’s just a really good basketball player. Same thing with Sophie. She’s a good player," Barkley said. "I think it has something to do with sexuality, race, and jealousy. I think it’s all three of them. I don’t know how you break up the percentages."

Barkley said the WNBA’s bad publicity bothers him because he believes the league has a lot going for it. The WNBA is expanding, players are making more money under a new CBA, and the league has young stars who should be driving the conversation.

Instead, Barkley said, the WNBA keeps finding itself wrapped up in hard fouls, social-media posts and arguments that have little to do with basketball.

Smerconish suggested the WNBA could benefit from the attention, invoking the old belief that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Barkley didn’t agree.

"I don’t think it works like that anymore, Michael," Barkley said. "When’s the last time you heard something positive about the WNBA? I can’t even remember."