Caitlin Clark is finally addressing her teammate Sophie Cunningham's controversial comments on trans athletes in women's sports ... and she's getting feisty with reporters.
Caitlin was asked about Sophie coming out against "biological men" competing against young girls in sports ... and the Indiana Fever star snapped at the journalist who dared to ask a follow-up to her non-answer.
Caitlin was asked about Sophie's stance after Sunday's 108-100 loss to the Minnesota Lynx ... she didn't pick sides, said it was above her pay-grade, claimed it wasn't a topic in the locker room and said she was only focused on winning WNBA games.
When the reporter pressed for more, Caitlin shut him down ... and you can feel the tension in video from their exchange.
Brittney Griner has filed for divorce from her wife, Cherelle -- the woman who stood by her when she was locked up in Russia -- after eight years of marriage.
The WNBA star filed the divorce petition Thursday ... and lists July 24 as the date of separation. She says their marriage is "irretrievably broken."
Brittney and Cherelle -- who share one child together -- tied the knot back in June of 2018 ... and remained together during the 10 months Brittney spent in a Russian prison.
Brittney Griner's wife seemed to have no idea a divorce was imminent ... or at least she was hiding the info well ... because she posted pics of their seemingly happy family weeks before the pair separated.
Cherelle Griner shared a bunch of pics and vids on July 1 for her 33rd birthday ... and the snaps are full of friends, fun and her fam -- including a photo where she held tightly to Brittney, their faces bunched together.
In a video, the two hold their son -- who was born in 2024 -- in front of a fish tank at an aquarium. Another clip shows the pair giggling as they do a skincare routine together.
The WNBA is *attempting* to put out a fire they ignited ... after the league's own social media team posted video of hoop stars Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers seemingly making a $400 wager on a Dream-Wings Game -- before scrambling to delete it.
Addressing the viral controversy for the first time, the much-maligned league put out a statement insisting the whole thing was a joke that got out of hand.
"While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league's policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies. We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally."
11:38 AM PT -- The WNBA is breaking its silence on the controversy ... and the league's chalking it all up to a joke that went too far.
The WNBA is backpedaling on a social media post that promoted two of its biggest stars violating league policy ... scrubbing a video of Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese putting $400 on the outcome of a game from its X account.
The friendly wager was made during All-Star Weekend ... with Bueckers and Reese agreeing to shell out four crisp $100 bills if their respective teams lost in Wednesday's showdown.
"I know y'all gonna lose ... but if y'all win, you get the 400," Reese said in the clip while holding a wad of cash.
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham isn't backing down from her comments on trans athletes in women's sports ... and she doesn't think her stance is all that controversial.
The Indiana Fever guard shared her opinion on the polarizing topic in an interview with ESPN this week ... where she claimed she felt a duty to "protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
#Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on her trans comments in ESPN:
“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense. … I think it’s really important to protect children.”
The WNBA just punished Alyssa Thomas for putting her fist on Caitlin Clark's throat during Wednesday night's game.
The league dropped the news minutes ago ... saying it reviewed footage from the Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury matchup and determined Thomas deserved a flagrant foul 2 penalty and one-game suspension for "recklessly making contact with her fist" to Clark's throat area.
The W in WNBA stands for wrestling when it comes to Caitlin Clark -- so says CongressmanTim Burchett, who tells TMZ DC the league better stop abusing its biggest star ... or they'll be flat broke when she leaves for a European league.
The politician from Tennessee is outraged over how the Indiana Fever superstar's being treated by her peers ... as she's been targeted with rough fouls in games. Most recently, she took a fist to her throat during Wednesday's contest against the Phoenix Mercury.
Burchett reacted to a screenshot of the act on X ... saying, "The thug treatment of @CaitlinClark22 by the @WNBA is pathetic" -- but he had more to say when Jacob Wasserman ran into him on Capitol Hill Thursday morning.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White is fed up with how Caitlin Clark is getting treated during games ... and a fist to the hooper's throat seemed like the last straw.
The league's biggest name was roughed up during the Fever's 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday ... a contest Clark left in the third quarter due to back issues.
Prior to her departure, Clark was at the center of two incidents White considered to be "cheap shots" ... including one that spread like wildfire on social media.
Angel McCoughtry isn't buying Dana White's explanation for why the UFC doesn't hold Pride Nights ... calling the stance hypocritical and arguing the LGBTQ+ community deserves the same visibility other groups receive through major sports organizations.
The star WNBA player joined us on "TMZ Live" and said Dana's argument that sexuality is a personal matter, not a workplace issue, doesn't hold up. In her view, the same logic could be applied to other groups, such as the military, which sports leagues regularly choose to spotlight.
Angel argues that giving the LGBTQ+ community a platform wouldn't hurt anyone and could actually help closeted athletes feel more comfortable being themselves.
Talk about an Indiana Fever -- Caitlin Clark battled an illness during Thursday night's game against the Atlanta Dream ... and it was so rough, the WNBA superstar had to leave the court to vomit amid the action.
The moment went down as both teams were gearing up for the second half of the Commissioner's Cup matchup at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse ... when all of a sudden, Clark jetted to the nearest trash can to blow chunks.
Clark told reporters she was under the weather and tried to eat some applesauce before the third quarter ... but ended up puking that out, as well as whatever else was in her stomach at the time.
Clark -- who appeared pretty ill after the contest -- told reporters she felt light for the rest of the outing as a result ... and the 83-71 victory had to serve as some great medicine, too.
Former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick is preparing for a different kinda court over some fake news ... saying anyone who reported she was joining OnlyFans will be hearing from her legal team.
The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft sent social media into a frenzy this week ... when she claimed a "link" would be added to her bio in 24 hours.
"Link in bio," of course, is a popular phrase used by adult models on X or Instagram (or so we're told) ... leading some folks to think this meant she had created an account on the sometimes X-rated subscription-based platform, especially since she shared the news with a sexy pic.
Hilary Duff's "luck ... or something" isn't running out anytime soon -- the former Disney star is now a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model!!
The publication shared the big news on Tuesday ... making the announcement alongside some jaw-dropping behind-the-scenes shots of the actress/singer showing off her beach bod as she posed for the camera.
WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale is in the clear ...the battery charge against the hooper has been dropped, two months after she allegedly socked a security guard in his face at a famed Miami nightclub.
Ogunbowale, 29, was celebrating her team's championship in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league -- her side gig when she isn't playing for the WNBA's Dallas Wings -- into the early morning hours at E11EVEN in South Beach ... when she was said to be involved in a dispute with other people at the club, prompting security to *attempt* to kick out a group that included the 4x WNBA All-Star.
That's when Arike was accused of hauling off on the guard, punching him in his grill, and causing him to fall to the ground.
Paige Bueckers just drew a line in the sand with Dallas media members ... telling them her relationship with fellow No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd is off limits.
The WNBA superstar kick-started her media day availability by making an announcement -- she will not speak on her romance with her now-teammate.
"Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi's personal relationship is nobody's business but our own."
"Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi's personal relationship is nobody's business but our own," Bueckers said. "And what we choose to share is completely up to us."
She went on to say they have both held themselves to high standards as professionals ... and they have never let their personal lives affect what happens on the court.
One of the most popular power couples in the sports world is no more -- Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird just announced they have broken up after 10 years together.
The two superstar athletes -- who got engaged in 2020, but never exchanged vows -- shared a joint statement on Friday ... admitting, "There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news."
"This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we’ve made together, with so much love, respect, and care for each other. We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, through big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us."
