Esteemed journalist backs Christine Brennan, chastizes WNBPA: "You owe her an unreserved apology for slandering her"

Renowned journalist Keith Olbermann chimed in on the situation regarding the WNBPA, DiJonai Carrington, and USA Today reporter Christine Brennan. The Connecticut Sun player and the reporter starred in a tense moment that didn't sit well with a section of fans.

Olbermann responded to the WNBPA's statement against Brennan, which called her 'unprofessional' and accused her of trying to 'bait' DiJonai Carrington into pushing a 'narrative that is false and designed to fuel racist, homophobic, and misogynistic.'

"Congratulations. You've just attacked one of the women who paved the way to make a WNBA possible. If you think @cbrennansports has any agenda besides supporting and covering women's sports, you should close your union and suspend WNBA play until you read in on what SHE fought to get where she is.

The "unprofessional" ones here are the leaders of your organization. You owe Chris Brennan an unreserved apology for slandering her," Olbermann tweeted on Tuesday.

Olbermann, who spent 20 years of his career as a sports journalist before turning to politics, didn't hide his displeasure with this situation. He reminded and let new fans know that Brennan fought hard to put the competition under the spotlight and deserves better treatment from the league's union.

This situation began when Christine Brennan asked DiJonai Carrington whether she intentionally meant to strike Caitlin Clark in the eye in Game 1 of the Connecticut Sun versus Indiana Fever first-round series.

Christine Brennan defends herself against WNBPA statement

In an interview with CNN on Monday, USA Today columnist Christine Brennan defended herself against the WNBA's statement, saying that WNBA players should be more open to being under scrutiny the same way NBA players are. (Start at 2:41)

“The best thing I can do as a journalist is to try to give the athlete an opportunity, which I’ve done tens of thousands of times, to answer the question and tell us what she believes happened. That was literally it. And as you know, first of all I’d ask that question 100 times out of 100, I’d ask it today, the athlete has every opportunity to then take that question and go with it any way she wants.

"And obviously she did. So that’s the opportunity that I think any journalist gives an athlete when you’re covering a story, to give them the opportunity to give their side of it,” Brennan said.

Her question didn't sit well with the WNBPA, who had already criticized Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for her comments about fans being racist and abusive towards the players. But while Engelbert walked back her comments, it seems Christine Brennan isn't backing down.