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The current perception is that asking certain questions of black athletes is considered racist. 

Former United States Women’s National Soccer captain Megan Rapinoe criticized USA Today columnist Christine Brennan for asking what seemed like an innocent question to a Connecticut Sun player.

Brennan — who’s by no means part of the right-wing contingent that Rapinoe demonizes — was labeled a “racist” by the ex-soccer player over a question she asked WNBA player DiJonai Carrington.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 06: Megan Rapinoe #15 of the United States looks on during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Winner Group G and Runner Up Group E at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on August 06, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 28:  DiJonai Carrington #21 of the Connecticut Sun looks on during the game on August 28, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/NBAE via Getty Images)

Carrington made headlines for an ‘inadvertent’ eye gouge against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who happened to be white. Carrington, a black player, hit Clark with a well-timed poke to the eye during their matchup on Sept. 22, which led to a black eye for the Fever sensation.

Indiana Fever SG Caitlin Clark after getting poked in the eye in Game 1 of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)

Indiana Fever SG Caitlin Clark after getting poked in the eye in Game 1 of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)

The ‘foul’ to Clark’s face — which was actually not called a foul during the game — prompted serious questions from audiences who viewed it as a ‘cheap shot’ by Carrington at C.C. 

“Did you intend to hit her in the eye,” Brennan asked Carrington after the incident, to which the Sun player responded with “no.”

That question seemed to contain undertones of racism, at least to Rapinoe, who took major exception to Brennan’s duties as a journalist.

Rapinoe made the ridiculous assertion of Brennan’s line of questioning, which marked a new low for the short-haired quack. 

If it doesn’t make sense, Megan Rapinoe probably believes it.

On her ‘A Touch More’ podcast — also highlighted by OutKick’s Mark Harris — Rapinoe framed Brennan’s question as “protecting” the white Caitlin Clark and working as a racist attack against Carrington.

READ: Megan Rapinoe Thinks WNBA ‘Failed’ To Protect Players From Racism That Has No Signs Of Actually Existing

“I think it’s so disingenuous for Christine Brennan and other media members to say ‘I’m just asking, I’m just asking the question,’” Rapinoe started, “but really what’s happening is your natural instinct to protect and narrate white players versus go after and narrate black players that to me is really the issue.”

Rapinoe added, “I think it’s so disingenuous for Christine Brennan and other media members to say ‘I’m just asking, I’m just asking the question,’ but really what’s happening is your natural instinct to protect and narrate white players versus go after and narrate black players that to me is really the issue.” 

Caitlin Clark cleared the air regarding Carrington’s eye-poke, stating it was not intentional. 

The WNBA enjoyed a historic season in audience numbers courtesy of Clark’s stardom, and WNBA pundits frequently praised her for refusing to feed into the fuss that shadowed her all year.

More people tuned in to watch the electric Clark, and folks like Rapinoe and WNBA Players Association Executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson have approached storylines this year with zero nuance — instead assigning victim cards to the black players who faced scrutiny this season.

Now, any question directed at a black player can be deemed racist, which once again illustrates a “house of cards” reasoning that progressives like Rapinoe subscribe to.

On several occasions, pundits labeled Clark’s detractors, some of them WNBA players and executives, as ungrateful for not giving the rookie her proper leeway after she gained so much for the league.

Due to Clark’s popularity, stemming from her days playing at Iowa, the WNBA could invest in private flights to games for women and more benefits typically allotted to leagues with more success.

Though frequently on the left side of arguments, Brennan now finds herself under Rapinoe’s microscope — though we can all guess why Brennan’s not protected from her own progressive party’s crosshairs … because she is white.

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