Source: Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers / Getty
Any game the Indiana Fever play is big news because of Caitlin Clark, who has continued to live up to her hype in her sophomore season, so no gaffe goes unnoticed.
That includes the game’s commentators, such as Rebecca Lobo, who called the Fever’s game over the weekend against the Las Vegas Aces.
Towards the end of the Aces’ 89-81 win, Lobo called out the officiating and openly disagreed with a call made by the referees.
It led to her co-host and play-by-play announcer, Pam Ward, saying, “They disagree with you.”
“They do, and I disagree with them,” Lobo responded while refs reviewed the foul in question. “And that’s fine. That’s what makes America great, right, Pam Ward?”
The broadcast goes silent for about 10 seconds before Lobo realizes she flew a bit too close to the MAGA sun, falling just one word short of the acronym, and course-corrects.
“I should rephrase that,” Lobo said, to which Ward quickly responded, “Yes.”
Ward, then, suggested Lobo say “difference of opinion,” instead, and she agreed.
“Yes, that’s a better way to say it. Sorry about that,” Lobo added with a chuckle before continuing on with covering the games’ last seconds.
Even fellow hoops legend and core member of the Houston Comets dynasty, Sheryl Swoopes, found the awkward moment hilarious and responded to a fan’s tweet reading “sis said I’ll die first before I say anythingggg after that” with That sh-t was so funny!!!”
Lobo has made public comments about her political leanings in the past, praising the racial uprising and protests of 2020. However, she is primarily focusing on basketball, which she first gained popularity for as a center at UConn. Standing 6’4”, she was dominant in the paint on both ends, leading the undefeated team to an NCAA championship in 1995. She’d later joined the WNBA in its inaugural 1997 season as a member of the New York Liberty and lost in the finals. Injuries would have hampered her professional career — leading to her pivot to media in 2004 — but her impact on women’s basketball was unwavering, culminating in her induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
As for the game, it wasn’t Clark’s best showing, only scoring 19 points on 7 of 20 attempts. A’ja Wilson, however, proved why she’s one of the league’s best and a three-time MVP, leading her team with 24 points and showing up during crunch time to pad their lead. Her teammates also stepped up, notably with Jackie Young’s stat line of 19 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, as well as Chelsea Gray’s 18-point performance.
See social media’s response to Lobo’s accidental choice of words below.