Serena also took down controversial Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker, who came under fire for his far-right commencement speech at Benedictine College earlier this year.
Serena Williams, Quinta Brunson and Venus Williams at the 2024 ESPY Awards. FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGE
Serena Williams joined her sister, Venus, and Quinta Brunson in calling out Pat McAfee for his comments about WNBA star Caitlin Clark earlier this year at the 2024 ESPY Awards. The trio also took shots at Harrison Butker.
Onstage at the ESPYs show, host Serena shared the stage with Venus and Quinta for a segment celebrating this year’s rise in popularity of female sports, thanks in part to Clark, who was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft in April after rising to stardom while playing for the University of Iowa.
The trio of women reviewed a list of terms that are acceptable when referring to female athletes, among them being “athlete,” “champion” and “dumbass” (because, as Brunson noted, all athletes are sometimes dumbasses).
“Just don’t use the b-word,” the group said, to some cheers in the audience.
The moment was seemingly a reference to ESPN commentator Pat McAfee, who last month referred to Clark as a “white bitch” during a discussion about her talent in relation to conversations about race.
“What we’re trying to say is, what the WNBA currently has is what we like to describe as a cash cow. There is a superstar,” McAfee said in June. “But I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class.’ Nah, just call it for what it is. There is one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a superstar.”
McAfee later apologized on X, formerly Twitter, after facing backlash for the moment online.
“I shouldn’t have used ‘white bitch’ as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark,” he wrote. “No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening.. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe. My intentions when saying it were complimentary just like the entire segment but, a lot of folks are saying that it certainly wasn’t at all. That’s 100% on me and for that I apologize.”
The commentator noted he had sent a personal apology to Clark as well.
Elsewhere in the segment, Serena, Venus and Brunson also called out Harrison Butker, who came under massive fire this year following a commencement speech at Benedictine College, where he condemned abortion, euthanasia, IVF, surrogacy and the LGBTQ community.
“Enjoy women’s sports, they’re just like other sports, except you Harrison Butker,” Serena said to cheers. Butker was somewhere in the crowd of the audience, though his reaction was not shown.
