The world of sports has always been a hotbed for debates and controversies, especially when it comes to rankings and lists. Recently, ESPN sparked a firestorm within the basketball community when they released a controversial WNBA ranking that placed Chennedy Carter below Caitlin Clark. This decision did not sit well with Carter, who expressed her frustration and disappointment with the ranking.
ESPN’s decision to rank Clark above Carter raised many eyebrows, especially considering Carter’s proven track record in the league. Carter wasted no time in addressing the ranking calling out ESPN for what she perceived as a lack of respect for her accomplishments and talents on the court.
On Wednesday, ESPN released its list of the top 25 WNBA players midway through the 2024 season. Caitlin Clark was placed 15th on the list, and Chennedy Carter came in nine spots below her at 24.
Here’s what Alexa Philippou wrote in Carter’s entry:
“No one knew what to expect when Carter made her return to the WNBA following a one-year hiatus. But she has been nothing short of sensational in Chicago, carving out a starting role after initially coming off the bench, leading the Sky in scoring. With her lightning-quick first step, no one in the league can stop her from getting downhill to her spots.“
Chennedy Carter took issue with ESPN’s ranking of her, to say the least. On her Instagram story, the 25-year-old guard wrote, “this isn’t addind up the hate be so obvious” with a laughing emoji.
Carter is averaging 17.2 points, a career-high 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over her first 24 contests (averaging 25.1 minutes per game). The 17.2 PPG mark is the second-best of her career thus far (she averaged 17.4 points per game in 2020).
On top of that, Chennedy Carter is shooting a career-high 51.8 percent from the field, a considerable improvement from her previous personal best (47.3 in the aforementioned 2020 season).
Chennedy Carter’s message to ESPN and the basketball community is clear – she is a force to be reckoned with on the court, and her talents should not be underestimated or overlooked. It is time to give athletes the recognition and respect they deserve, and put them in the right rankings.
Flip to the next page for ESPN’s ranking and reactions to Chennedy Carter calling the outlet out on the Socials…
