‘I Was Shaking,’ ‘Changed the Trajectory of Your Career’ — Monica McNutt, Ryan Clark Revisit Her Viral Confrontation With ESPN Star Stephen A. Smith

Rohit De Sun, October 25, 2026 at 5:37 PM UTC

0

‘I Was Shaking,’ ‘Changed the Trajectory of Your Career’ — Monica McNutt, Ryan Clark Revisit Her Viral Confrontation With ESPN Star Stephen A. Smith

Stephen A. Smith has never been far from controversy. Over the years, he has made headlines for plenty of reasons. In 2014, he even got suspended from ESPN for a week after his comments about the Ray Rice domestic violence case drew heavy backlash.

He has also had public back-and-forths with athletes and fellow media personalities, and his loud style has often put him at the center of the conversation. Now, one of those moments has come up again, and this time it came from the other side of the table.

Monica McNutt Reflected on Her Confrontation With Stephen A. Smith in 2024

On a recent episode of “The Pivot” podcast, host Ryan Clark asked ESPN basketball analyst and reporter Monica McNutt about her 2024 on-air confrontation with Smith.

“On First Take, old Stevie A, you know what I mean? Shannon Sharpe. Changed the trajectory of your career, especially as it goes with ESPN, because you were like, you were honest.”

“You were like, Stephen A, you could have been doing this. And you could have done this for years. And sometimes those moments bring like a little unwanted fame as well. What was it like when that went viral for the reasons it did?” Clark asked McNutt during the segment.

McNutt explained that she approached the moment with confidence. That confidence, she said, came from what she believed was a growing relationship of trust and friendship with Smith. She did not see it as an attack.

“As I have said, at that time, part of the confidence that I was operating with was an expectation of trust in a relationship that I thought was growing… Not that it hasn’t still, but at the time, to me, friendship, accountability, having relationships with people means you have the opportunity to call them to the carpet. And honestly, I thought I was saying water was wet,” McNutt said on the podcast.

But once the cameras were off, things felt different. She recalled feeling shaken afterward, something she said had never happened to her before after a broadcast.

Advertisement

“And so I think that moment, I had no anticipation of it becoming what it was. I do remember it being the first time that I got off of television, and I was shaking. But I think that was just because the nature of that show is embrace debate at the time. Right. And so it was like, it was an intense and passionate debate, but I had no idea it was about to do what it did. Clueless,” McNutt added.

The confrontation took place on June 3, 2024, during a heated segment on ESPN’s First Take.

The panel was discussing a hard foul by Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, along with the bigger stories around the WNBA. During the talk, Smith boasted that no show covered the WNBA or women’s sports more than his show.

MORE: ‘Insufferable Child,’ ‘Should Have Been an Instant Technical’ – WNBA World Reacts As Dream Star Angel Reese Controversially Escapes a Tech in Finals

McNutt pushed back right away.She told him, “Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted to.”

Smith initially responded, ‘Wow.’ The panel continued the heated exchange before host Molly Qerim eventually cut to a commercial break. Moreover, Smith did not let it go quietly. He later addressed the moment on his own podcast, calling McNutt’s comment “highly offensive” and “blatantly false.”

Smith defended “First Take’s” record on women’s sports and argued that the show had done its part. Still, he made a point of saying he admires her.

For Smith, it was one more chapter in a long career of big moments. For McNutt, it was a moment of courage that is still being talked about today.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”