In the digital age, the internet never forgets. For sports commentators, this means that every hot take, every controversial statement, and every narrative push is archived forever. This week, Elle Duncan is learning that lesson the hard way. The former ESPN host, who recently made the jump to Netflix, has sparked a firestorm of criticism after making comments that seem to completely contradict her stance on Caitlin Clark and her fanbase during her tenure at the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.”
The Flip-Flop Heard ‘Round the World
The controversy stems from a recent podcast appearance where Duncan discussed the coverage of women’s basketball. “If you exceptionalize LeBron and you make him MVP… this doesn’t have to be Mean Girls,” Duncan said. “We don’t have to break off the crown and give every single little person a piece.” She went on to argue that it is up to the media to shine a light on important storylines, implying that singular focus on a superstar is acceptable.
To the casual observer, this sounds like a reasonable, even obvious, take. But for those who have followed the WNBA discourse over the last two years, it sounded like a hallucination.
Why? Because in July 2024, on ESPN’s First Take, Elle Duncan looked directly into the camera and delivered a scathing indictment of Caitlin Clark’s new fanbase. “The new fans are sucking the life out of the WNBA,” she declared. At the time, she argued that the singular obsession with Clark was ruining the joy of the league and disrespecting the legacy of other players. She and other ESPN personalities frequently pushed the narrative that celebrating Clark without acknowledging every other legend was a form of toxicity.
A Convenient Change of Heart?
The timing of this reversal has raised eyebrows across the sports world. Duncan is no longer beholden to ESPN’s editorial direction; she is now launching a new venture with Netflix that requires viewership, buzz, and engagement. And who holds the keys to the most engaged audience in women’s sports? The very “Caitlin Clark fans” she spent two years antagonizing.
Critics are calling this a classic “business pivot.” By rebranding her stance, Duncan appears to be extending an olive branch to the massive audience she previously alienated. The narrative that Clark’s fans were “toxic” or “racist” or “unbearable” was a staple of ESPN’s coverage. Now, free from that ecosystem, Duncan seems to have discovered that those same fans are actually just passionate supporters who buy tickets, watch games, and drive revenue.
The “Mean Girls” Irony
There is a rich irony in Duncan’s use of the “Mean Girls” analogy. For two years, the media establishment—with Duncan often at the forefront—acted exactly like the “Mean Girls” of the WNBA, enforcing strict social codes on who could be celebrated and how.
When Clark broke records, the coverage was often filled with “yes, but…” qualifiers. “Yes, she’s great, but what about Diana Taurasi?” “Yes, the ratings are up, but the fans are problematic.” The demand that every conversation about Clark include a mandatory history lesson on the league’s past was, in itself, a way of breaking off the crown to ensure everyone got a piece. Now, Duncan refers to that exact behavior as unnecessary, effectively critiquing the very model she helped enforce.
No Apology, Just a Pivot
What frustrates fans most is the lack of accountability. There has been no “I was wrong.” There has been no admission that characterizing enthusiastic new fans as “life-sucking” was perhaps an overreaction to a rapidly changing landscape. Instead, the pivot is presented as if it were her position all along—a form of gaslighting that the receipts simply don’t support.
Duncan did have moments at ESPN where she defended Clark against bad-faith attacks, such as when she called out Sheryl Swoopes for spreading misinformation. But those moments were often overshadowed by the broader network narrative that the fans were the problem.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, this saga reveals the fluid nature of sports media narratives. When the incentive structure changes, so do the opinions. At ESPN, the goal was often to protect the establishment and the existing hierarchy of the WNBA. At Netflix, the goal is to capture the audience.
Elle Duncan is smart. She reads the data. She knows that antagonizing the Caitlin Clark economy is bad business for a new show. But while she may have changed her tune, the audience she is trying to woo has a long memory. It remains to be seen if they will accept this new version of Elle Duncan, or if the “receipts” will keep playing on a loop.
