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Chronicle of the Chennedy Carter controversy, from the suspension of the Atlanta Dreams to the bodycheck of Caitlin Clark

Theo

Chennedy Carter has been in the WNBA spotlight before – several times.

This time, however, is different. The 2024 WNBA Draft class, led by Caitlin Clark, has drawn tremendous crowds this year and brought national media attention to regular season games.

Carter attacked Clark during the Sky vs. Fever WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game on Saturday, June 1. She received an off-ball foul, which was upgraded to an intentional foul after the game.

Clark said it was “not a basketball game,” but she quickly moved on.

This isn’t the first time Carter has gotten into trouble. She has a past in the WNBA that is now coming to light as the league gets more attention.

Here’s a breakdown of their controversial schedule.

MORE: Explaining the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Chennedy Carter

Timeline of the Chennedy Carter controversy

Atlanta Dream suspends Carter and trades him to the Los Angeles Sparks

Carter was a standout college player at Texas A&M, earning All-American honors and averaging over 20 points in each of her three seasons.

The Dream selected her with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft and, despite a few injuries, she performed well right away, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting and averaging 17.4 points per game in 16 contests.

Due to an elbow injury, she was only able to play eleven games in her second season before the Dream suspended her for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

The incident began when Courtney Williams asked Carter to cheer on her teammates from the bench, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Next. It led to an argument that escalated after the game. Carter reportedly tried to fight with Williams, but the veteran backed away and no physical altercation occurred.

The Dream suspended Carter indefinitely after the incident and later traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks for the 2022 season.

Los Angeles Sparks sit on the bench and do without Carter

Carter played 24 games for the Sparks during the 2022 season, which is almost the same number of games she played in two years for the Dream, but her playing time was significantly less.

The former No. 4 pick averaged just 16.4 minutes per game and scored just 8.9 points per game. The Sparks benched Carter for “bad behavior,” according to the LA Times.

Carter had a contract for the 2023 season, but the Sparks decided to release her in the offseason.

MORE: WNBA fans ask Fever to sign ‘Enforcer’ after Caitlin Clark fouls out

Carter will play the 2023 season in Turkey

Carter was claimed off waivers in the offseason and was not signed by any team for the 2023 season. At just 24 years old, she decided to play professionally in Turkey. She played there briefly after her rookie season but left the country to be closer to home, according to Andscape.

She excelled in her second stint, averaging 24.1 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game for Bursa Uludag. Her play attracted interest from WNBA teams and she signed with the Chicago Sky for the 2024 season.

Carter throws a body check at Clark

The final entry in Carter’s controversial story was the most famous. She rammed Clark’s shoulder while the Fever rookie was waiting for a throw-in.

The referees initially ruled it an off-ball foul, but after the game it was upgraded to an intentional foul.

Carter refused to answer questions about Clark in postgame interviews, but later criticized the rookie guard on social media. Carter asked what impact she has on the game outside of the three-point shot.

She made a few more posts, including one in which she laughed at those who begged the Fever to sign an “enforcer.”

Your X-answers are currently limited.

The Fever hits Sky on Sunday, June 16 at 12:00 p.m. ET. What was originally a duel between Clark and Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso will be expanded to include another storyline.

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