Stephen A's Quick Hits: Caitlin Clark's Black Eye, Colorado's Hail Mary and Anthony Joshua being knocked out.

Published Sep 24, 2024, 2:00 PM

Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown. In WNBA news, he discusses League MVP Honors for Las Vegas Aces’ A’Ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark’s playoff debut and “Rookie of the Year” accolades; the Hail Mary Colorado Buffs win over Baylor, and IBF Heavyweight Daniel Dubois’s knockout of Anthony Joshua.

Let's get to some quick hitters.

First up in the business, Asia Wilson, unanimous League MVP for the w NBA. Okay, we got to start out with that, all right. We got to get that out of the way as well, because we're starting out west.

This is the Las.

Vegas Aces we are talking about, who began their title defense yesterday against the Seattle Storm. But now before Asia Wilson received her third career MVP award and a vote again was unanimous. Wilson and the Aces went on to beat the Storm seventy eight to sixty seven.

She finished the game with twenty one points, eight boards, five blocks. Who gives a damn about that? For second? Here, for a second, here, let's understand.

This MVP in twenty twenty MVPN twenty twenty two, fourth play in WNBA history to win three MVPs, joining Sheryl Swoops two thousand and two thousand and two, two thousand and five. Yes, Cheryl Swoops, we mentioned your name in a very positive way. Okay, okay, we're giving you love, all right, ladies. Lisa Leslie two thousand and one, two thousand and four, two thousand and six, and of course Lauren Jackson two thousand and three, two thousand and seven, twenty ten.

Asian Wilson received those sixty seven first place.

Votes from a national panel of sports riders and broadcasters, making of the first unanimous WNBA MVP since the Houston Common Cynthia Cooper in the league's inaugural season of nineteen ninety seven. I want y'all to look at this right here, right This is Asia Wilson's seventh year afaging twenty six point nine points, eleven point nine rebounds, two point six blocks, one point eight steals thirty eight games. She ranked first in the WNBA in both points and blocks, second in rebounds, fifth and steals, fourth, and minutes, and set in career highs in all five per game categories. All right, social finish seventh in the league in field goal percentage of fifty one point eight percent.

The girl is big time.

She is the face of the league, major major props to her, none but love for her.

She deserves all the accolades. We know that she may not be the most popular, but she is certainly the best. Deserves it so.

And one of the reasons I picked the Las Vegas Aces to three p because I'm saying, you got to show me somebody gonna beat them in a playoff series for me to believe it, because I ain't believing it just like that, because Asia Wilson is too phenomenal.

Okay, So that's quick hit number one. Let me get to number two.

Caitlyn Clark, who by the way, was named Rookie of the Year surprise surprise, made a w NBA playoff debut yesterday and struggled, to say the least. Clark and the Indiana Fever won in a row for game one of their series against the Connecticut Sun and were blown out ninety three to sixty nine.

They got there, they got their butts kicked.

With the bottom line, Clarke scored only eleven point shooting a mid four seventeen from the floor two or thirteen for three point range, and to make matters worse, she finished the game with a black eye after she was poked by to Johnny Carrington.

Who tried to block her shot.

Nobody's accusing Carrington of doing it on purpose, by the way, because we know how drama feeled people can be trying to make these salacious allegations.

Here's the thing about Caitlyn Clark that I want to bring.

Up how y'all feel now, I still stand by everything that I said. I still stand by the fact that she should have been on Team USA. I still stand by the fact that she was big time. I still stand on the fact that the rising tide lifts all boats and everybody should have rolled that way.

For Team US and beyond.

And then you had some jealousy, not by most, not by all, but there were some people within the w NBA, players, pundits, etc. That we're trying to tear her down, trying to tear her down. And so how y'all look now, see, I love how everybody trying to change the argument. My man Shay Shake because she andon shot, went off about it this morning. How there were so many people getting at people like him, getting at people like me and others trying to change the freaking narrative.

When we were.

Pointing stuff out, we were trying to blow her up unnecessarily. When people were trying to knock her down, they were trying to bring credibility to the argument.

They weren't jealous. The reality is is that.

We got a lot of players of these wonderful ladies who bust their tails to make the WNBA what it was.

Here's the reality. It wasn't what it is. It wasn't what it is.

The quality of basketball may have been up to snuff, and you had somebody as popular as Ryl Swoops who had her own signature shoe, had a deal with Nike and all of this other stuff, But the.

Bottom line is very few people gave a damn.

If you are making the argument that ladies who helped build the NBA deserve far more shine that they were getting, you have every right to feel that way.

What you have to respect, however, is that the.

Paying customer, the audience didn't feel that way. They did not give a damn about the WNBA for years. Is that fair that the ladies know it isn't fair, It's not right, But they're a paying customer. You don't tell them what they want. They tell you what they want, and they really we're not feeling the WNBA to the degree that they're feeling the WNBA now, obviously because of Caitlyn Clark, who's selling out games and got the Indiana Fever selling out games more than they sell out Pacer games everywhere they go, selling out TV ratings, All Star game ratings, Opening Night ratings, WNBA Draft ratings. We know what tom it is, and to act like there isn't or hasn't been legitimate resentment emanating from those who are pioneers, nobody's fooled here. You got pundits who used to play in the WNBA, some of them who didn't, and who was speaking on behalf of those who didn't want to create that kind of noise themselves because of the negative impact.

We talk about it when the men do it.

If we detect jealousy, if we detect envy, if we detect resentment, and it's amongst the fellas, we put it out there. Shit, we act like it's the latest episode of General Hospital. But when the ladies are feeling that way about another young lady like Caitlyn Clark, and people like myself and Shayshay call it out, suddenly it's a problem.

Come on, we can act like we don't know, but we know.

I know that was supposed to be a quick hit, but damn it, it's my show and I didn't feel like being that quick on that subject. Turning back to college football real quick, y'all heard me allude to the miracle that miracle win that Dion Sins and the Colorado Buffalos pulled off Saturday night against Bella. Colorado was down seven points with two seconds left in the game when Shadoor Sanders through a forty nine yard hell Mary pass that was caught Byli John ta Wester in the end zone. Colorado went on to winning overtime thirty eight thirty one. Here's what I'm gonna tell y'all. First of all, as Chris Carter alude to Travis Hunter's spectacular. Secondly, Shador Sanders ain't far behind. The only question I got about Shador Sanders is the size. Outside of that, that brother is special. He clearly got it from his daddy's jeans. He is special.

He really, really really is.

And last, but not least, let me say this about my brother, Dion Sanders, who Paul Finebaum accused me of being subservient to the mouth of the South, Who's subservient.

To SEC teams all.

Day, every day, half the time compared to teams and other conferences, got the udad the umitigated goal to call me subservient to anybody but the Lord.

What nerves?

But I love Paul, so it ain't no big deal. But no, I wasn't being subservient. I was just being factual. When the door, Sanders refused to shake the hand of the Colorado State quarterback that he beat up twenty eight to nine. After that kid was talking mad mad messed about him leading up into the game. I ain't blame him one bit, but I will say this, rather than us focus on all the drama.

About the calf, the Colorado Buffalo's ladies and.

Gentlemen, I know last year they started out three and oh before nose diving. They three and one. Right now, they three and one right now. I can't ignore that. I gotta give love with lovers due. Remember you win sixty seven games, so six to seven games, Yo, you're in.

A bowl game.

If Dion Sanders pulled that off, we might need to be talking about a different narrative.

When it come to that.

Man, I'm just saying, let me get to the last one, and this is boxing, and this ain't gonna be that quick of a take, so get the hell over it. And my producers are listening, get the hell over it. This ain't gonna be that quick because I'm disgusted. It's my last quick hitter comes from the world of boxing. We're former two time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was knocked out by IBF heavyweight title holder Daniel the Boys, and this fight wasn't even close. Y're the Boys came came in as an underdog, knocked down Joshua three times in a fight before a vicious right to the jaw finished them in the fifth round. Joshua this loss was his fourth professional defeating and it also denied in the chance to become a three time world heavyweight champion. I need to take a quick a quick drink of water before I say what I'm about to say, because I'm kind of pissed off now. I met Anthony Joshua once. I want to say that as a human being, he's one of the nicest human beings you.

Could ever meet. Obviously, he's a skilled boxer.

With tremendous power in his punches that can't be ignored fair enough, but strictly not as a human being. As a boxer, I can't stand his ass. I can't stand his ass. I'm over him, you see because as a boxing lover, looking at him right there, got his face looking like Martin when he boxed Tommy hitman. Hearns on the show, Mark Lawrence, Okay, Anthony Joshua, Do y'all have any idea how many mega fights he's ruined? So let's go down the list. He's a big time fighter, beats Vladimir Klitchko, stops him to win a big fight, biggest fight, biggest win of his career.

Remember that. Remember he was supposed to fight.

He was supposed to fight Deontay Wilder, a knockout artist, make no mistake. But then he got stopped by Andy Ruiz, Remember that, and then had to come back and get the rematch and ultimately won by decision.

Dan.

It was supposed to be Wilder again or potentially Tyson Fury, but got beat by.

U Sik Remember that. Remember that? And now here you are talking.

About the possibility of him fighting Tyson Fury.

And what does he do.

He gets his ass knocked out by the boy who talks smack to him during the promotion of the fight, so much so that Anthony Joshua got out of his chair. Don't disrespect me, you don't disrespect me, and they got his ass kicked.

Yo, y'all, that was an ass kicking. That was an ass kicking.

I mean, you come there and you getting dropped, you getting knocked upside your head. He got a glass jaw. I'm talking about in terms of boxing for heavyweights. I like Anthony.

Joshua as a person.

I don't root against him, but I'm tired of him ruining big fights. Let me tell y'all a little story that once happened. Okay, remember when y'all heard the story about Deontay Wilder. And I love Deontay Wilder. He's another good brother. But let me, I gotta be real about this Deontay Wilder. Everybody knows it's not a great boxer. He's an elite nuclear bomb.

Of a puncher.

That's who he is, which makes any fight he's in interesting because one punch can end it for you with this brother, that's how much power he has. Do you remember when he was looking for the trilogy against Tyson Fury, Ladies and gentlemen, I beg Deontay Wilder, please don't do that. He was complaining about how he wore that heavy ass costume into the sequel the second fight, and that took away his legs and that's why he had lost to Tyson Fury.

And then Tyson Fury wanted.

To move on, but Deontay Wilder had sued him to give him a trilogy. I remember saying to Deontay Wilder, Yo, bro let the brother fight, Joshua. You take extra time, work on your skills, save your body, and you de mandatory challenger for the winner.

That's how you do that.

But nah, nah, he insisted on a trilogy with Tyson Fury. Here was the problem with Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury said, Yo, they were promoting the fight. Once the lawyers in the legal system made him fight, the sanction of bodies made him fight Deontay Wilder. He said, fine, he came across the pond to promote the fight. Deontay Wilder go back and look at the press conference, and he's wearing his headphones and he refused to answer any questions from the media.

Said that's all he needed to be said and all it needs to be said.

And Tyson Fury said, we're supposed to be promoting the fight, so let me tell y'all how this is gonna happen. One of us got to promote the fight, so I'm gonna do it. He said, he can't box. I'm gonna come into the fight, and he said, and he's gonna be a stationary target for me, even when I miss. I'm gonna lean on him and I'm gonna take his legs away because I'm gonna come into the fight thirty five or forty pounds heavier than him. And he said, there's nothing he can do about it. And why am I telling you all this Because he's too dumb to do anything about it. That's what he said about Deontay Wilder and then went into the ring for the trilogy and did it. Now, he got dropped twice in the fourth round, but he did it. My only point in saying that is, why would you voluntarily fight a dude that's thirty forty pounds heavier than you and exert that level of energy.

Why not let him.

Go there against Joshua where Joshua got the skills and the punching power to potentially take Tyson Fury out, even though I think Tyson Fury would have knocked him out too, but you never know. Meanwhile, you buy yourself time to go in there against Tyson Fury, and if you don't, and if he doesn't beat or hadn't beaten Anthony Joshua. You could have took Joshua courting with one of your right hands and you would have been the champion.

Deontay Wilder didn't listen.

And went in a fourth the trilogy against Tyson Fury got knocked out in that fight. And now here we are looking for yet another mega fight from Anthony Joshua and instead we see him get knocked out.

Damn that.

Once again, a big time heavyweight fight ruined by an Anthony Joshua lost not once, not twice, but three times.

This shit has happened with him. Damn, Damn, damn. That's all I want to say about that.