Stephen A. Smith accuses Brittney Griner of not being grateful for her freedom: "Clearly, she's not remembering who they let out to get her back"

Stephen A. Smith has slammed Brittney Griner after her alleged racist slur against Caitlin Clark during a WNBA game. A video of Griner allegedly calling Clark a "trash f****** white girl" went viral on social media. Griner was ejected after she committed her fifth foul against Clark.

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In conversation with the "Valuetainment" team on Thursday, Smith referenced Griner's arrest in Russia and subsequent release.

"First things first, respectfully, Brittney Griner was in a Russian prison," Smith said. "You would think that somebody who is now free back in America on a home soil, would not have too much to complain about, especially something like this."

Smith added that Brittney Griner's behavior was "disturbing."

"Clearly, she's not remembering who they let out to get her back, "The Merchant of Death," an arms dealer that wanted to kill American citizens, according to the reports," Smith added. "That's who they let out, for her, you would think that you would be smiling, you would be ecstatic, you would be happy, and something like this wouldn't phase you at all. The fact that it does is disturbing." [Timestamp 2:56]

Stephen A. Smith about "resentment" towards Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark has her fair share of detractors, and Stephen A. Smith was asked by Patrick Bet-David about the resentment toward the Fever star from certain circles in the WNBA.

"There's nothing wrong with the resentment that you may feel towards what she represents," Smith said. "It's actually good because it provokes a level of hostility which elevates the competitive fervor and y'all go out there and compete and everybody gets paid.

"But unfortunately you almost feel like you have some folks within the WNBA that wishes that that would rather not be in a very fruitful position because of their resentment towards her."

Amid all this, Caitlin Clark has remained unfazed and is focused on being her best on the court.

About the author

Nandjee Ranjan is a journalist covering the NBA and WNBA at Sportskeeda whose passion for basketball dates back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing the sport in school.

Nandjee finds his heart divided between two NBA powerhouses: the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He idolizes LeBron James and his leadership, while he appreciates the Warriors' dynamic and team-oriented style of play.
Basketball, for Nandjee, isn't just a sport but a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. He's been drawn to team sports, finding fulfillment in the physical engagement basketball offers.

With years of following basketball, Nandjee contextualizes historical events and player performances. He believes in conducting thorough research before writing, only taking information from reliable sources. He doesn’t mind taking more time to write an articles, as long as it is 100% accurate for his readers’ benefit.

During his leisure hours, Nandjee finds relaxation by reading books.

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Edited by Krutik Jain