DiJonai Carrington, a WNBA player, sparked a backlash by wearing a shirt with the words “The F— Donald Trump Tour.” Riley Gaines, a conservative influencer was quick to join in.
Carrington wore the shirt as she entered Wayfair Arena, Miami, Florida, on Friday. Carrington’s most famous interaction was with Caitlin Clark, a women’s basketball phenom in the WNBA during her rookie season 2024.
Carrington gave Clark a notorious black eye in September by poking Clark with her fingernails in a match between Clark’s Indiana Fever team and Carrington Connecticut Sun. Carrington and her Fever teammate Marina Mabrey laughed about the incident.
Gaines sneered at this in her initial critique of Carrington Sunday.
You’re telling that the same girl, who intentionally gouged Caitlin in the eye, then laughed at it, also wore a sweatshirt with the words “The F— Donald Trump Tour?” Gaines posted a message on X saying, “I’m shocked.”
Carrington said that she did not laugh about the incident and she didn’t poke Clark’s eye on purpose. Gaines had no hesitation in implying that Carrington poked Clark’s eye on purpose and laughed about the incident afterward.
Gaines continued his criticism of the Sun’s player and even brought LeBron into the discussion.
What has Donald Trump made worse for you? Gaines responded to a picture of Carrington wearing a shirt with the words “Keep LeBron Off the Court” on X.
Carrington riled Clark’s fans with multiple statements before the incident.
Carrington fouled Clark during a June game after Clark had received a pass inbound from Kristy Wallace. Clark received the pass and began to head towards the basket. Carrington was delayed in getting to Clark because Aliyah Boston had set up a screen. She bumped Clark.
Carrington wrote on X later that month about Clark’s need to do more to combat “racism” or other forms of prejudice. She called the Fever’s fans “the nastiest in the league”.
Carrington made fun of Clark’s black-eye controversy in an Instagram Live video from October. Carrington was in her kitchen with NaLyssa Smith who is Clark’s Indiana Fever co-star. Smith poked Carrington when they were together.
Carrington replied, “You poked me in my eye.” Smith apologized and both laughed.
Did you do it deliberately? Carrington asked.
Gaines isn’t just angry at Carrington when it comes to Clark’s presence in the WNBA.
Gaines and journalist Jemele Hill got into a heated argument after Clark said that she benefited from White Privilege in the WNBA, during her interview with Time magazine Athlete of The Year.
Hill began the debate after Gaines criticized Clark for his comments on X.
Hill wrote: “You yell all the time that you support and ‘protect’ women. But the moment Caitlin expresses her appreciation and respect for Black women who play in the WNBA, many of whom she grew up watching and idolizing as a child,” suddenly you act like a disgruntled parent.
Gaines responded quickly to Hill’s posting by making fun of the “White Privilege” that exists in the WNBA.
“‘White privilege’ in the WNBA is hilarious. Maybe you’re like Sunny Hostin & think CC also has tall privilege, pretty privilege, and straight privilege,” Gaines wrote. “There’s lots of Black players in the WNBA I love [and] respect too, but I don’t admire them because they’re Black. I admire them for their game. That’s the difference.”
Gaines then went further by sharing Hill’s original post along with a screenshot from comments made by the journalist in an interview she gave to the Los Angeles Times back in May. In the article, Hill said it was “naive to claim that Clark’s sexuality and race as a straight female did not contribute to her popularity in WNBA where most players are Black.
Gaines responded by saying, “Being an experienced professional race baiter for so many years must be exhausting.”
Hill mocked Gaines for his comment that Hill was a race baiter. She referred to an incident in which she tied trans athlete Lia Thomas during the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming Championships.
“Girl you have to thank Lia Thomas for everything you do in your life. Otherwise, you would be a good college swimmer who no one knows. Hill wrote: “You wrote the book about grifting, not me.”
Gaines responded by saying, “How deeply regressive [and] utterly misogynistic for Jemele Hill to tell me to thank a man for the platform I have. Thank him for what? Violating us in the locker room? Stealing a national title from a deserving woman? Indirectly stripping us of our 1A rights? Just say you hate women,” Gaines wrote in her response.
This was the final message of the exchange.
Gaines also engaged in online battles with other liberal figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D.N.Y., and Dallas Mavericks minor owner Mark Cuban.
Gaines’ followers have reacted with enthusiasm to each of her spats against liberal figures.
