Stephen A. Smith is SLAMMED by co-host in furious exchange live on air - over his failure to properly cover the WNBA on First Take

Stephen A. Smith was brutally accused of not giving enough coverage to women's sports on First Take during Monday's heated episode of the show.

Basketball analyst Monica McNutt joined the show in the wake of Chennedy Carter's furious shove on Caitlin Clark on a controversial weekend for the WNBA. 

The No. 1 overall pick was knocked to the ground by Carter towards the end of the third quarter of Indiana Fever's victory over Chicago Sky on Saturday. 

Television replays appeared to show Carter yelling 'you b***h' at Clark before shoving her to the ground. Clark's former college nemesis Angel Reese also stood up to applaud the blow on the sideline.

After discussing the incident on First Take and what might have fueled Carter's behavior, McNutt ended the segment by questioning Smith's coverage of women's sports.

After Smith asked her 'who talks about women's sports and the WNBA more than First Take?', McNutt hit back with: 'Respectively Stephen A., with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted to.'

Smith looked noticeably furious with the claim and tried to fight back, telling McNutt she'd 'missed a lot of episodes of First Take'.

Host Molly Qerim quickly interjected and ended the debate - which had gone on for 40 minutes - to head to a commercial break.

It comes after NBA veteran and former champion Matt Barnes heaped further criticism on Clark's Fever teammates - telling them they must do more to protect the franchise's star player.

He said: 'I mean, throughout the season, she's been getting beat up. Hard screens, elbows, knocked down,' Barnes said. 'It is what it is; she's not the first, she won't be the last. 

'My issue and my question is, Where the f*** are her teammates at? Where y'all at? Where are the rest of the Indiana Fever at? 

'I've seen a couple of girls smirk when she's got knocked down, half-a** to pick her up. Like, y'all supposed to protect the asset, protect the star. And although this is a team, you always protect your star.'

Barnes, who played with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul throughout his 14-yeasr career, was at times an enforcer himself and believes Clark's teammates need to stick up for her more.

'I was someone who protected the stars. You f*** with Kobe, [Chris Paul], Blake [Griffin], the list goes on, it's going to be a problem. 

'You guys are supposed to be a family. And you wonder why you sit at the bottom of the league right now, it's because y'all don't protect each other, man. Coach don't do s*** about it, players don't do s*** about it. Y'all should be ashamed of it.

'But the rest of the league is going to continue to test her. That's what they're supposed to do. It's your guys' f***ing job to have her back, and to have each others' backs. Got to do better, ladies.'

While Carter refused to answer questions about Clark after the Sky's loss on Saturday, she had plenty to say on social media afterwards.

Writing about Clark on Threads, Carter said, '...beside three point shooting what does [Clark] bring to the table man.'

She also alluded to her beef with Clark on her own Instagram story, writing, 'I grew up with all brothers. All we did is fight and argue. 

'I love the hate more than the love what don't yall understand. I'd rather you hate me [than] love me and I mean that on my dead aunt.' 

The situation also sparked the notion that the Fever need an 'enforcer' to protect Clark, as suggested by the Warriors' Draymond Green.

Brittany Mahomes also came out in support of Clark with the wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sharing a post on Instagram backing the rookie WNBA star.

The 28-year-old Mahomes - a former soccer player - wrote: '@caitlinclark22 keep doing your thing!!

'You're a baller and it's incredible to see what you're doing for the game and women's sports!!'

Clark's boyfriend and brother have also both weighed in on the row - liking tweets slamming Reese.

Clark is in a relationship with her college sweetheart Connor McCaffery, and fans noticed that he has regularly 'liked' posts slamming Reese over the past year.

In one post, Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy calls Reese a 'classless piece of s***' after her infamous ring celebration at Clark during their college days.

In another, McCaffery has liked a post that refers to Reese as 'highkey not good... she's just bigger than everyone.'

Clark's brother Colin has also not been afraid to make his own feelings clear, liking a tweet about Reese 'hopping off the bench to throw a parade for Caitlin Clark's murder'.

In another, he liked a tweet claiming that Draymond Green would have been 'facing jail' if he'd done the same as Carter did to Clark in the Fever-Sky matchup.