WNBA analyst Zena Keita is learning the hard way that Caitlin Clark's fans don't let mistakes slide—especially when they involve the league's most polarizing star. After a viral clip showed Keita mistakenly crediting Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles with the WNBA's all-time single-season assist record, Keita fired back at critics on X (formerly Twitter). But her explanation didn't land as she hoped.
The record in question actually belongs to Clark, who dished out 337 assists during her historic rookie campaign. Miles, meanwhile, has fewer than 230 assists this season—a franchise record for the Lynx, but nowhere near the league mark. The distinction matters, and Keita's initial error set off a firestorm among Clark's loyal fanbase.
In her initial response, Keita wrote: "Me having to log back into X to say…this was a simple misspeak. The stat was that she broke the LYNX rookie single assist record, not WNBA. I had done 2 podcasts before this one & simply misspoke. I am not racist, and I don't hate CC. You can think whatever else past that, idc."
But the internet wasn't buying it. A community note was quickly added to her post, accusing Keita of misrepresenting the data and offering a disingenuous correction. The note pointed out that during the podcast, Keita mentioned two other players—neither of whom ever suited up for the Lynx—when discussing the rookie assist record, undermining her claim that she simply misspoke.
"Zena misrepresented the data and got caught. Her correction is disingenuous. During the podcast she mentioned two other players who have never played for the Lynx when talking about the rookie assist record. She has consistently been negative and lied about Caitlin Clark," the note read.
The backlash didn't stop there. Fans flooded the replies with skepticism, questioning how a simple mix-up could include references to players like Ticha Penicheiro and Courtney Vandersloot—neither of whom ever played for Minnesota. One fan wrote, "Little too sloppy. I've never heard of you but I've heard of 'The Athletic.' This misspeak claim doesn't hold up because you rattled off two all time great assist leaders who both never played for the Lynx. Ya'll should just be thankful CC brought ya'll all this new attention."
Another added, "Well then why compare her to other non Lynx players? I love Miles but come one." A third chimed in, "She's straight up lying. If she meant franchise record then why bring up Penicheiro or Sloot? Neither of them have ever played for Minnesota."
Despite the mounting criticism, Keita doubled down in a follow-up post, expressing genuine regret for the error while pushing back against attacks on her character. "And for what it is worth, I AM genuinely sorry for unintentionally sharing a bad stat. My producers and I should have caught that before posting and will do better moving forward. My 'idc' is directed at those attacking my character, my abilities and my value in this space," she added.
This isn't the first time Clark's fans have rallied against perceived slights. From cameraman clashes to battle scars on the court, the Iowa superstar's supporters are quick to defend her legacy. Keita's misstep only adds fuel to an ongoing narrative that Clark faces undue criticism from media members.
Whether Keita truly misspoke or intentionally downplayed Clark's achievement remains a matter of debate. But one thing is clear: in the world of WNBA coverage, accuracy is everything—and Caitlin Clark's fans are watching closely.
