ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Elle Duncan acknowledged a significant mistake during a recent episode of her “Elle Duncan Show.”
On Thursday, Duncan accused WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes of spreading “hate” about Caitlin Clark, reacting to Swoopes’ comments on her “Queens of the Court” podcast without fully listening to them.
The next day, Duncan publicly apologized, admitting her error.
“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 Friday on X. “I should have LISTENED to the show [Swoopes’ podcast]. The same thing I IMPLORED CC fans to do when they were attacking me a couple of months back for ‘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.”
When a follower thanked her “for confirming that it was indeed the producers pushing these narratives,” Duncan took full responsibility, stating, “Nope, not producers’ fault either. They are putting an entire show together, and it is the responsibility of the TALENT to do their research. This is on me for rushing… for not taking my time and just REACTING. This is MY L.”
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She reiterated in another post, “This isn’t their fault. The podcast rundown is basically a collection of notes — the research should have been on ME. It’s my voice; I need to be responsible for what’s coming out of it.”
Duncan had initially taken issue with Swoopes’ comments about the WNBA Rookie of the Year race, specifically how Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese impact their respective teams’ playoff chances. Duncan misinterpreted a segment where Swoopes discussed the performance of the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever without Clark and Reese, claiming it suggested bias.
Swoopes had said, “I don’t know if Chicago is in the playoffs right now without Angel [Reese], right… Is Indiana in the playoffs right now, without Caitlin? … When you look at the overall team, like the pieces that they have, without question, Indiana has better players than Chicago from top to bottom. No doubt about it.”
This comment was part of a larger discussion where Swoopes and her co-host, Jordan Ligons Robinson, were explaining their picks for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. Swoopes chose Reese, while Robinson picked Clark, the No. 1 overall selection by the Fever in this year’s WNBA draft. Swoopes, who has long supported Reese, had positive remarks about Clark as well.
“I love her, but she’s wrong here,” Duncan said of 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.’”
Duncan’s interpretation was flawed as Swoopes never downplayed Clark’s contributions. In fact, Swoopes praised Clark’s skills multiple times, stating, “Caitlin, her passing, her assists — insane! Her ability to see the floor and get the ball where it needs to be — chef’s kiss — beautiful!”
In her apology, Duncan emphasized her commitment to better research and responsible commentary, acknowledging the damage caused by her premature remarks.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of context and thorough understanding in media reporting.
