Former NFL superstar calls WNBA ‘charity for lesbians’ after seeing projected $50 million loss

Mike Battaglino
3 Min Read
Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former NFL star Antonio Brown directed some more vulgar words toward the WNBA, calling the league “just a charity for lesbians” after seeing a report that it is expected to lose $50 million this season.

It is not the first time the disgraced former All-Pro has weighed in on the WNBA in demeaning terms. He has used social media to make several disparaging comments about Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who arrived in the league this season after a historic collegiate women’s basketball career at the University of Iowa.

For reasons known only to him, Brown has commented multiple times on Clark’s private area before later complimenting the 22-year-old.

The wide receiver also recently took a wild shot at the gender of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner after it was announced that her partner was expecting the couple’s first child.

A Super Bowl champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brown initially made his name with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His NFL career ended when he walked off the field shirtless during a game between the Buccaneers and New York Jets in 2021. Though he appeared to have a good chance at making the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his off-the-field antics during his career and afterward have made that possibility more unlikely.

The WNBA has seen a notable boost in popularity — reportedly spurred in many ways by the arrival of Clark — so the fact that it will remain a money losing enterprise for the 2024 campaign may be surprising to some. One WNBA executive reportedly said the league would be hard-pressed to exist without the financial backing of the NBA.

In her first WNBA season, Clark is leading the Fever averaging 15.6 points per game in her 14 appearances to date. However, she has made almost as much news for how other players in the league are treating her, with a hard foul by Chennedy Carter of the Chicago Sky drawing a large amount of the attention.

It obviously will take some time to see what kind of long-term effect Clark’s arrival and the enhanced exposure the WNBA has garnered will ultimately have on its bottom line. But no matter what it does it likely won’t be enough to actually impress Brown.

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Mike is a veteran journalist who has focused on New York sports. He has covered the NBA and NFL for almost three decades and is still waiting for the next championship for the Knicks and Jets.