Charles Barkley didn\u2019t mince words while talking about Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and the WNBA.<\/p>\n
“Those girls do not like Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham,” Barkley said, referring to the other players in the WNBA and their feelings toward two of the league\u2019s most popular players. But Barkley didn\u2019t think it was all about race.<\/p>\n
“Without regard for race, they just don\u2019t like them,” Barkley added.<\/p>\n
![\"Charles](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/charles-barkley-caitlin-clark-sophie-cunningham-indiana-fever.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nCharles Barkley says WNBA players dislike Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, blaming a mix of jealousy, race, and sexuality for the hostility.<\/span> (Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Barkley made those comments on “The Michael Smerconish Program” while the two discussed what Barkley called the WNBA\u2019s “awful year.” One of the incidents the pair talked about was DiJonai Carrington\u2019s Flagrant 2 foul on Cunningham during the Aug. 8 game between the Fever and Chicago Sky.<\/p>\n WNBA SUDDENLY WANTS TO STICK TO BASKETBALL AFTER YEARS OF MAKING POLITICS PART OF THE PRODUCT<\/strong><\/p>\n Carrington delivered a vicious blow to Cunningham’s head as the Fever guard attempted a fast-break layup. Cunningham was left with a bloody mouth following the contact. Referees reviewed the play, upgraded the call from a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2 and ejected Carrington.<\/p>\n Shortly after her ejection, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever. She later said she never claimed the Flagrant 2 itself was the result of white privilege, though she didn’t explain what prompted the post.<\/p>\n Cunningham called the foul “unnecessary,” said she had “no beef” with Carrington, then called it intentional and accused Carrington of seeking attention.<\/p>\n Smerconish said he went looking for data on whether hard fouls between Black and White WNBA players occur more often than they should. He said he found a peer-reviewed study suggesting they happen at the rate one would expect, which led him to argue that the media is what turns those incidents into racial controversies.<\/p>\n Barkley didn\u2019t buy it.<\/p>\n “No, no, you\u2019re wrong, though,” Barkley said. “The reason they made it black and white [was] when that girl tweeted \u2018white privilege.\u2019 That was stupid on her part.”<\/p>\n SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DIJONAI CARRINGTON AFTER FLAGRANT FOUL AND ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE’ POST<\/strong><\/p>\n Barkley called it “a dirty play. Period.” He said Carrington\u2019s post turned it into a racial argument.<\/p>\n “When you turn stuff to the internet, all the race hustlers start coming out. We have a ton of race hustlers out there, White and Black. Let me repeat that. White and Black,” Barkley said.<\/p>\n Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was ejected after delivering a vicious shot to the head of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.<\/span> (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Smerconish then brought up Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, whose rivalry came with obvious racial undertones but helped turn the NBA into a massive national product. Barkley agreed those undertones existed. He said the difference was that Bird and Johnson respected each other.<\/p>\n “There was always respect,” Barkley said, before repeating himself for emphasis. “There was always respect.”<\/p>\n Barkley didn’t accuse Carrington, or any other WNBA player, of racism. He did, however, offer his own theory for the hostility toward Clark and Cunningham.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m not gonna get on here and call somebody a racist because I don\u2019t have any proof,” Barkley said. “Whether it\u2019s race, sexuality, or whatever, there\u2019s something going on there.”<\/p>\n He said Clark and Cunningham are simply good players, but he believes the resentment toward them comes from a mix of factors.<\/p>\n “She\u2019s just a really good basketball player. Same thing with Sophie. She\u2019s a good player,” Barkley said. “I think it has something to do with sexuality, race, and jealousy. I think it\u2019s all three of them. I don\u2019t know how you break up the percentages.”<\/p>\n Charles Barkley says that players in the WNBA “do not like Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham.”<\/span> (Kamil Krzaczynski)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Barkley said the WNBA\u2019s bad publicity bothers him because he believes the league has a lot going for it. The WNBA is expanding, players are making more money under a new CBA, and the league has young stars who should be driving the conversation.<\/p>\n Instead, Barkley said, the WNBA keeps finding itself wrapped up in hard fouls, social-media posts and arguments that have little to do with basketball.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/p>\n Smerconish suggested the WNBA could benefit from the attention, invoking the old belief that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Barkley didn\u2019t agree.<\/p>\n “I don\u2019t think it works like that anymore, Michael,” Barkley said. “When\u2019s the last time you heard something positive about the WNBA? I can\u2019t even remember.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\nBarkley says Carrington\u2019s post turned the foul into a racial debate<\/h2>\n
![\"Sophie](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/sophie-cunningham-dijonai-carrington-wnba.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nBarkley says WNBA resentment toward Clark and Cunningham goes beyond race<\/h2>\n
![\"Sophie](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/cunningham-clark-fever-wnba.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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