The NBA opening night had a different story running on the news as the FBI tightened its grip on the betting and match fixing, with nearly 34 arrests on one day by the FBI. While there were many big names like former champion Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, analyst Stephen A. Smith suggests that the WNBA could be next on target.
While many WNBA stars attended the NBA opening nights, like Saniya Rivers and Aaliyah Edwards stole the spotlight at the Boston Celtics’ home game, the shocking arrest news overshadowed even those highlights. The veteran analyst has his theory for the arrests and predicts the WNBA as the next target.
Stephen A. Smith Warns WNBA About Donald Trump’s Action
The roots of the arrests lie in opposition to Donald Trump, as per Stephen A. Smith. He claimed that those who opposed the current government at the time of the election and even bashed their policies faced the heat from a federal investigation. HE gave the NFL and NBA’s example and mentioned that the women’s basketball league could be the next league on target.
“Bad Bunny is performing at the Super Bowl, and all of a sudden, you’re hearing ICE is going to be there looking to engage in mass deportations, the Super Bowl, disrupting things. Big night for the NBA, [Victor] Wembanyama put on a show… that has now been smeared because we’re talking about this story,” Smith said on ‘First Take’.
Stephen A. Smith warns that President Trump could be coming for the WNBA next, after targeting the NFL over Bad Bunny and the NBA over gambling.
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 23, 2025
“Trump is coming. He's coming.”
(🎥 @FirstTake / h/t @awfulannouncing )
pic.twitter.com/HIoWUbbwd9
He added, “Don’t be surprised if the WNBA is next on his list. When you’ve got all these protests going on out there, protesting against him… this man is coming, he’s coming.“
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While the WNBA is experiencing a huge influx of fans and investments, any such allegations and arrests would hamper its image and impact its global appeal. The WNBA recently broke its attendance record midway through the 2025 season already, but any negative publicity could not only slow down the league’s growth, but it could even take down the entire enterprise.
FBI Director Kash Patel Trashes Stephen A. Smith’s Claims Over WNBA
Even though the sports analyst tried to make his point with a few supporting ‘evidence’, the FBI director brushed off such claims while answering questions on the Fox News Channel. FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned that the investigation had been going on for a long time, and they made the mass arrests.
On Smith’s comments, Kash Patel said, “I’m the FBI director. I decide which arrest to conduct and which not to conduct. That may be the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard out of anyone in modern history. And I live in Washington, D.C…We arrest people for crimes.”
FBI Director Kash Patel on Stephen A. Smith: "I'm the FBI director. I decide which arrest to conduct and which not to conduct. That may be the single DUMBST thing I've ever heard out of anyone in modern history. And I live in Washington, D.C…We arrest people for crimes." pic.twitter.com/f4XdR1oRLs
— lowballLOGIC (@LowballLOGIC) October 24, 2025
While the arrest and allegations are shocking, the WNBA fans now have another concern, with the unfinished CBA negotiations, if the analyst’s predictions are accurate.