The WNBA incident reminded me of the fighting Detroit teams – and why sport needs politics

Last week’s incident involving Chicago Sky defenseman Chennedy Carter and Indiana Fever rookie player Caitlin Clark highlighted why we need politics in sports and how sports helps bridge a divide needed to have difficult conversations.

It lasted all of six seconds and began with Carter coming off a block on the weak side of the court and receiving the ball at the baseline. She then sank a mid-range jump shot to cut Chicago’s deficit to four points (49-53) as they struggled to get back into the game late in the third quarter.

After the shot is blocked, Carter is seen cheering on Clark as he stands waiting for a throw-in.

Carter approaches Clark and bumps her with her shoulder. Clark, who had her back turned, falls to the ground. The impact results in a normal foul against Carter and a free throw for Clark.

After the game, the WNBA upgraded the decision to a “Flagrant 1 violation,” a more severe penalty.

The game ended in a 71-70 victory for the Fever, their first home win of the season, but what happened next has sparked heated debate in sports circles in general and among WNBA fans.

Wait, what does Detroit have to do with this?

This reminded me of the 2008 Detroit Shock vs. Los Angeles Sparks matchup, which I had heard about years before, but I had to do a little research since I was eight at the time and was probably playing Wii somewhere or riding bikes with friends.

Caitlin Clark’s Whiteness makes them more marketable. That’s not racist. It’s true.

The fight began after a converted free throw when Candace Parker (another rookie star) of the Los Angeles Sparks and Plenette Pierson of the Detroit Shock (the WNBA’s first Sixth Player of the Year and a star in her own right) were stopped while running down the court after a converted free throw.

The scuffle resulted in numerous fines and suspensions.

Having been a Detroit sports fan growing up, I know all too well the fights and, more importantly, the conversations that take place afterward.

“The Malice at the Palace” – a fight between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2004 – continued to paint a negative image of Detroit and a generation of NBA players involved in it. It prompted the NBA to implement stricter policies, including an increased security presence and alcohol restrictions.

It made us view player-fan interactions differently and shaped our ideas of what is acceptable in crowds and stadiums today. I would argue it also challenged the way we as a society think about black men after the media started calling players “black thugs” and other epithets.

And what does that have to do with politics?

There were arguments that “Clark’s talent privilege” made her a target and that Carter’s shove outside of basketball would have been considered “assault.”

Others argue that other WNBA players are jealous of Clark and should be grateful for the attention she brings to the league. Still others say that until recently, the sports media did not have a long-standing tradition of accurately covering the WNBA.

There are numerous columns that address these points.

I argue that incidents like the Clark-Carter dispute help us have conversations about gender pay inequality, intersectionality in sports, and adequate coverage of women’s sports leagues.

These examples illustrate the literal meaning of politics in sport and we should embrace it.

Moreover, the WNBA is unique in that it cannot operate outside of this policy – because it is a women’s league, which is still difficult for some fans, and because it is primarily made up of queer and black women.

These questions are central to the players’ personalities outside of sport. As we have seen, they have no problem being at the forefront of the justice movement in professional sports circles.

And I don’t believe physical activity is necessary in sports to have these conversations. However, I do believe these moments don’t need to be separated from the broader conversations we have at school, at dinner, or at the water cooler.

Sports provide a great setting for difficult conversations about who we are as people. I argue that it can both challenge our values ​​and make us consider other perspectives – all while being fun and exciting.

Jalen Williams is an intern at the Detroit Free Press. Reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: WNBA dispute between Caitlin Clark and Chennedy Carter shows that sports are political