The 33-year-old teased her appearance on Monday’s First Take following the Chicago Sky’s thrilling comeback win over the Indiana Fever.
Monica McNutt has teased fireworks ahead of Monday’s edition of First TakeCredit: Getty
The ESPN star clashed with colleague Stephen A. Smith over the WNBA earlier this monthCredit: Getty
McNutt spoke out after Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever were beaten on Sunday nightCredit: Getty
McNutt and Smith memorably clashed earlier this month in a viral exchange that thrust the ESPN analyst into the mainstream.
She accused Stephen A. of failing to give a platform to the WNBA until the emergence of superstar Caitlin Clark.
Sunday’s showdown between the Sky and the Fever saw Clark go up against her former college rival Angel Reese.
Chicago rookie Reese recorded a double-double for the eighth consecutive game in the 88-87 win.
She scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to steal the spotlight from Clark.
“Me heading to work tomorrow to balance out the coverage & actually talk ball,” McNutt wrote after the game on X.
She accompanied the post with a woman lowering her visor and preparing to use a blowtorch.
“Go get ’em!” replied one fan on X.
“You’re the only one on that segment who can,” said another.
“Hopefully you can balance that mess and bring some common sense like you always do,” said a third.
“I can hear SAS right now talking about the rating & what CC doing for the game.. he not gone wanna talk about her disappearing in the 4 quarter,” argued a fourth.
Chicago overcame a 15-point second-half deficit as they fought back for their first win of the season over the Fever.
It also accounted for Reese’s first career win as a pro over Clark, who scored 17 points on the night.
“This is what I do. I come out and perform,” Reese said, via ESPN.
“I do what it takes to win every single day.”
McNutt’s on-air feud with Stephen A. appears to be in the past after she returned to First Take last week.
‘Who talks more about the WNBA?’
Stephen A. Smith had a run in with Monica McNutt on First Take about women’s basketball this week.
Smith said that he didn’t like how he needed to “watch every syllable” when talking about the WNBA, but McNutt wasn’t happy with his statement.
“Welcome to the world of being a woman, Stephen A,” she said.
“How you have to dance about your word choice and how you have to please everybody and anybody as you navigate your being.”
Stephen A. gave a comment that really fired McNutt up.
“Who talks more about the WNBA, who talks about women’s sports more than First Take?” Stephen A. said.
McNutt clearly was irked by his question and set the record straight on live TV.
“Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted to,” McNutt said.
Molly Qerim and Shannon Sharpe both looked stunned, and Qerim tried to get the show to a commercial break, but the awkward moment continued.
After Stephen A. muttered “wow,” McNutt gave him a reassurance that she thinks he could have done more.
“You’re my guy,” McNutt said.
“But I’m talking to you.”
“You’re my girl,” Smith replied.
“But you’ve missed a lot of episodes of First Take.”
Smith had slammed his co-star for her on-air comments, calling them “disrespectful.”
“To address Monica McNutt’s point, I found it very unfortunate that she would say that,” Smith said on his podcast on June 3.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am the executive producer of First Take.
“You ever heard of Monica McNutt? You have now. Because she’s on First Take a lot.
“I challenge anybody to find a show on sports television that discusses women’s issues that discuss the WNBA, or women’s sports that highlights and profiles female analysts more than First Take. It’s been going on for years.
“First Take has spearheaded diversity and equity.
“Do you have any idea how offensive it was for me to sit there and hear Monica McNutt say that about me when I’m the one who hand-picked our roster on ‘First Take?”
Angel Reese put in the best performance of her rookie seasonCredit: Getty
