Elle Duncan Called Out Over Blatant Flip-Flop On Caitlin Clark To Defend Fellow Co-Worker

What exactly does former ESPN and current Netflix broadcaster Elle Duncan want from Caitlin Clark? That’s what people are asking after Duncan seemingly did a complete 180 recently regarding her views on Clark.

Duncan recently claimed that Clark bears responsibility for fans who have acted in a malicious manner toward her rivals, echoing the views of her former coworker at ESPN, Monica McNutt.

“I would love for it to be very clear to the people who think they are her fans but are using her, if she would say, ‘stop that sh*t, I don’t want it, I’m tired of it.’ As opposed to what we’ve seen, which is ‘the media makes up these narratives, the media makes up this discourse,’” Duncan said during an appearance on The Sports Gossip Show.

“That’s not true. The media highlights the stories, and they show it, but at the same time, like, the media did not make up that members of Congress are trying to get literal government intervention into whether you get fouled too hard. Like, this stuff has to stop.”

That alone is a controversial take, especially when you consider that Clark has denounced so-called fans who have used her name and popularity to attack other players.

“People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,” Clark said in 2024.

But to make matters worse, Duncan herself even said previously that Clark bears no responsibility for those people.

Elle Duncan Has Switched Sides On Caitlin Clark

In a 2024 segment on her ESPN-branded podcast, The Elle Duncan Show, Duncan vehemently defended the Indiana Fever star. In fact, she specifically stated that it was not Clark’s responsibility to speak up against fan behavior done in her name.

“I’m a huge Caitlin Clark fan. I am a huge Caitlin Clark fan, as most of us are, and anyone who likes basketball likes Caitlin Clark,” she said. “…But I have only ever taken issue with the discourse around her, not with her. I think she is great. And I think that it is not her responsibility.

“Some people say things like ‘I wish that she would do more to calm a small group of her fans from being so nasty.’ I don’t think that’s her responsibility. It’s not her responsibility to check … She already carries the weight of the league, and her team, and her endorsements, and her family, and all of this pressure. It’s not on her to be burdened by social media clowns.”

So, which is it?

Does Caitlin Clark have to police online fans? Or should she focus on all the other things she’s responsible for? Because it sounds like Duncan isn’t sure, either.