Stephen A. Smith Issues Ominous Warning That Donald Trump 'Is Coming' for WNBA

Stephen A. Smith sounded an alarm about what a recent sports betting investigation might mean for the WNBA.
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On October 22, news broke that NBA coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested as part of investigations related to illegal sports betting and rigged gambling backed by the Mafia, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Rozier is accused of participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using his private insider NBA information, while Billups is charged relating to his alleged involvement in rigging underground poker games. Both Billups and Rozier face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges and could face jail time if found guilty.

These stunning charges have taken the sports world by storm and suggest that the US Government (which is led by US President Donald Trump) is cracking down when it comes to the prominence of betting in American sports.

President Donald Trump speaks at a memorial event at the Pentagon on September 11, 2025
Sep 11, 2025; Arlington, VA, USA; President Donald Trump speaks at a memorial event at the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2025, in Arlington, VA. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images | Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith's Warning About Donald Trump Coming to Sports Goes Viral

Sports media personality Stephen A. Smith sent a strong message regarding Trump's imminent involvement in the world of sports betting, which he conveyed during an October 23 segment on ESPN First Take.

"We know what world I live in, in terms of politics. How many times, in one incident after another, have I said, 'Trump is coming'? He's coming," Smith said, per an X post from Awful Announcing. "I'm gonna say in on national television again. Bad Bunny is performing at the Super Bowl, and all of a sudden, you hear that ICE is gonna be there... Big night for the NBA. Wembanyama put on a show. That has been smeared because we're talking about this [gambling] story.

After mentioning Trump's connection to sports because he owned casinos (which are prominent concerning sports betting), Stephen A. Smith added, "Don't be surprised if the WNBA is next on his list. Because when you've got all these protests that are going on out there... This man is coming. He's coming. And I've been saying it for a long time... Anybody that has been around him, anybody that has talked to him, anybody that has seen his reactions from the sports leagues... They are not surprised at what's going on today."

Smith also mentioned that it feels unprecedented to see the Director of the FBI holding news conferences about sports betting (which occurred on Thursday), which shows just how seriously the Trump Administration is taking all of this.

"Talk to people in the NBA, talk to people in the NFL. They think this is just the tip of the iceberg. These are the kind of words that are coming out of people's mouth. It's not a surprise. It's very disheartening. It's very concerning. We don't know where this is going to go. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Everybody better brace themselves, because he's coming," Smith concluded of Trump.

Smith's worry is going viral, and explains why this developing story is worth monitoring for women's basketball fans.

Recommended Reading:


Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

Share on XFollow GrvntYoung