Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice called out former ESPN anchor Linda Cohn for seemingly manufacturing a divide between A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark.
After Cohn speculated that Wilson skipped the World Cup out of ‘insecurity’ over Clark’s media spotlight, King slammed the commentary as “dangerous,” demanding an immediate public apology.
Bernice King Demands Retraction After Linda Cohn’s Remarks on A’ja Wilson’s World Cup Withdrawal
Former ESPN personality Cohn ignited a debate after questioning whether four-time WNBA MVP Wilson withdrew from Team USA’s FIBA World Cup roster to avoid sharing the spotlight with Clark.
Suggesting Wilson’s absence stemmed from ‘insecurity’ rather than reported health issues, Cohn floated the idea that Clark’s global media presence played a major role in Wilson staying home.
“So is there any part of A’ja that didn’t want to spend the next couple of weeks watching the World Cup become the Caitlin Clark show?” Cohn questioned on her show. “Could A’ja simply not want to deal with that? Could there be some insecurity, dare I say?”
After it was reported that Wilson had been dealing with a lingering back issue and appeared on Las Vegas Aces injury reports in late August, Cohn doubled down on her stance, using Wilson’s recent minutes to justify her skepticism:
“If Aja Wilson has a back injury then why did she play over 30 minutes a game in 6 of her last 7 games and over 27 minutes in the other. Wilson did miss a game close to a month ago to Rest, not a back injury according to the Aces. It’s too bad she’s not playing.”
Cohn’s narrative drew intense backlash from fans and journalists who accused her of creating an artificial divide between two WNBA stars. Among the strongest responses was a statement from Dr. Bernice King, who took to Threads to demand a full retraction.
“Linda Cohn owes A’ja Wilson a public apology and a retraction,” King wrote. “What disappointing, delusional, and dangerous commentary targeting a great ambassador and GOAT athlete for the @wnba and for sports. Period.”
bernice king states that linda cohn — who spent 34 years on espn and should know better — owes a’ja an apology. she’s correct. pic.twitter.com/xhaN44IWZD
— a’ja wilson HQ (@aja22wilsonHQ) September 6, 2026
While discourse raged back home, Team USA dealt with on-court challenges in Berlin.
Clark enjoyed an impressive senior World Cup debut in the opener, leading a 94-61 blowout over China with 14 points and 11 assists on Friday.
However, that production and optimism took a hit two days later against Italy, where the defense trapped her on the perimeter and held her to just one point on 0-for-6 shooting in a narrow 55-52 win.
The disappointing offensive performance prompted analyst Jason Whitlock to note that Team USA sorely missed Wilson’s interior presence to punish physical zones and take pressure off the guards.
Despite the offensive struggles, two consecutive wins secured Team USA’s qualification for the quarterfinals. Kara Lawson’s squad will close out group play against Czechia on Monday, seeking to regain its rhythm before entering the knockout rounds.
