"I want y'all to touch grass": WNBA journalist goes off at Caitlin Clark fans for turning her 4-word reaction into 'negative'
On Wednesday, ESPN's Arielle Chambers defended herself from Caitlin Clark fans on X (formerly Twitter). The Indiana Fever star celebrated her 23rd birthday and had her foundation donate 22,000 to under-resourced schools in Iowa and Indiana. This led to Chambers sharing the post on X with the caption, "The WNBA is so important." However, many of Clark's fans had a negative reaction to it.
There were various comments from Clark's fans asking why the journalist had to mention the league in her caption. According to most fans, it was the star player's foundation and mentioning the WNBA wasn't needed.
However, Chambers didn't look the other way as she defended herself on social media.
"I see you’re new to my page so let me clarify. “The wnba is so important” is a phrase I coined back in 2016 to uplift the players & their efforts in the community and on court. It is used to AMPLIFY them. How you turned this negative is beyond me. But take that energy elsewhere," Chambers posted.
"I want yall to touch grass. Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t. Are y’all ok? Like seriously are yall ok?"
One fan argued that Clark has had "underwhelming support" from the WNBA media. The fan pointed out that crediting the Fever star instead of the entire league is something that fans want to see.
Chambers stood up for herself and countered that she gives credit to those who deserve it, including Clark. In a separate post, the reporter encouraged users to research before reacting to anything online. She said a quick Google search "would help fans exhale."
Additionally, the phrase she used has been on her X account since 2017. The initial post is pinned on her profile. She also claimed she has a good relationship with Clark and even sent her birthday wishes.
Caitlin Clark received a heartfelt message from her NBA friend
As she celebrates her birthday, Caitlin Clark has received greetings from teammates such as Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. She's also been greeted by her close friend and former college teammate at Iowa, Kate Martin.
In addition, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year received a heartfelt message from her close friend in the NBA, Tyrese Haliburton. The Indiana Pacers star won't be in town to celebrate with Clark as they have a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Paris, France.
Still, Haliburton gave a sincere message to Clark.
"I've said it many times, Caitlin is amazing. For me, getting to actually spend time around her, be around her, and get to know her personally, she's just an amazing person and an amazing player... She's become a good friend of mine," the Pacers star said.
On multiple occasions, Caitlin Clark has hung out with Haliburton and his girlfriend, Jade Jones. Being star players for the same city, they have each other's backs.