A USA Today columnist asked a fair question. The WNBA Players Association responded with an out-of-line statement. – Poynter

USA Today columnist Christine Brennan is well-respected in the journalism business. She has been a champion of women’s sports and a pioneer among women in sports journalism. But more than that, she has a solid reputation for being a fair reporter and columnist. A controversy, however, has cropped up with the WNBA Players Association putting out a scathing — and, I’ll add, unfair — statement about Brennan. It all started last week when WNBA star Caitlin Clark was poked in the eye by Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington during a playoff game. Clark ended up with a black eye. I thought it was an accidental poke as Carrington was going for the ball. But the incident gathered some steam on social media, and Brennan asked Carrington about it. The question was not out of line. Brennan even posted the exchange on X. Brennan asked Carrington, “When you went and kind of swatted at Caitlin, did you intend to hit her in the eye? And if so, could you just, or if not, either…