First Take co-host Molly Qerim quickly interjected to cut to an ad break after a discussion about Caitlin Clark got heated between Stephen A. Smith and Monica McNutt.
Clark entered the WNBA this season under a huge spotlight after breaking numerous college records before being selected by Indiana Fever with the No 1 overall pick in the draft.
The 22-year-old has been heralded as one of the main reasons for the WNBA's rise in popularity this season with bigger attendances and a larger viewership on TV.
But her popularity hasn't gone down well with some of her peers and that was evident at the weekend after Chennedy Carter brutally bodychecked an unsuspecting Clark to the ground at the weekend.
Stephen A. Smith was furious with Monica McNutt
ESPN
Officials at the time refused to review the footage as Carter was given a common foul, which was later upgraded to a flagrant-1 violation by the WNBA.
The incident became a huge talking point across US sports networks with First Take holding a discussion about it during their programme on Monday.
Smith and Shannon Sharpe were holding a discussion with basketball analyst McNutt about Clark and the WNBA as a whole for around 40 minutes with going to an ad break.
But Qerim had to interject after a tense exchange between Smith and McNutt, with the former visibly furious.
Smith had asked McNutt: "Who talks about women's sports and the WNBA more than First Take?"
McNutt replied: "Respectively Stephen A., with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted to."
Smith couldn't contain his dismay as the pair continued their back-and-forth while Qerim repeatedly tried to cut them short before managing to cut them off.
Earlier in the show, Smith had claimed that some WNBA players have grown 'jealous' of Clark and the attention she has received.
Chennedy Carter’s foul on Caitlin Clark sparked a huge debate
ESPN
"There are girls – young ladies – in the WNBA who are jealous of Caitlin Clark. She is a White girl that has come into the league," Smith said.
"She has burst onto the scene. She hasn’t proven herself yet.
"It’s not even about them thinking they’re better than her because they probably know it at this particular juncture because they’ve been playing on a level she just arrived to.
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First Take host Molly Qerim struggled to interject
ESPN
"Where the resentment comes in is the hard work, the commitment, the dedication, the pounding of the pavement, the being on the grind all of these years trying to uplift this brand that is the WNBA and is women’s professional basketball and all of their efforts were in vain until this girl comes along and takes the league by storm, takes the sport by form in college and has accomplished in a short period of time what they haven’t been able to.
"One would think that folks would be smart enough to recognize and appreciate that about Caitlin Clark – piggyback off of that to their benefit and praise her and support her for it while competing on the court against her."
