THE Daily Show host Jon Stewart is loving watching analyst Monica McNutt’s rapid rise.
The famous comedian and TV personality praised the ESPN star following his tense on-air moment with Stephen A. Smith during last week’s First Take.
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McNutt, 34, and Smith, 56, clashed when a debate with Caitlin Clark turned into one over First Take’s coverage of the WNBA.
Monica criticized Stephen A. for not giving the women’s game airtime before Clark’s arrival in an exchange that went viral on social media.
The young analyst and color commentator for New York Knicks Radio discussed the moment on Monday’s The Daily Show.
She also marveled at the WNBA’s growing popularity, fueled further by the enthusiasm surrounding Clark.
“Honestly, Jon, Caitlin Clark brought me here, right?” McNutt asked Stewart.
But the host – who follows the analyst’s work as an ardent Knicks fan – respectfully disagreed.
“The viral moment maybe brought some national attention,” Stewart said.
“I’ve been loving what you do… you’re a great basketball analyst and broadcaster.
“I’ve been following you on the New York Knicks [radio broadcast]you are [Pat] O’Keefe.
“Some of my favorite moments are you two… I mean, you guys are so knowledgeable.”
Stewart said that as a longtime basketball and Knicks fan, he knew McNutt was a special talent in the world of sports broadcasting.
“His voice, his knowledge, his passion affected me,” he said.
“It’s very rare that I turn on the radio or hear a new voice and say, ‘Oh, this person — they can explain this to me.’
‘Who talks about the WNBA the most?’
Stephen A. Smith had a disagreement with Monica McNutt on First Take about women’s basketball this week.
Smith said she didn’t like how she had to “watch every syllable” when talking about the WNBA, but McNutt wasn’t happy with her statement.
“Welcome to the world of being a woman, Stephen A,” she said.
“How you have to dance about your choice of words and how you have to please everyone as you navigate your being.”
Stephen A. made a comment that really excited McNutt.
“Who talks more about the WNBA, who talks more about women’s sports than First Take?” Stephen A. said.
McNutt was clearly irritated by her question and set the record straight on live TV.
“Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted,” McNutt said.
Molly Qerim and Shannon Sharpe looked stunned, and Qerim tried to take the show to a commercial break, but the awkward moment continued.
After Stephen A. muttered “wow,” McNutt assured him that he thought he could have done more.
“You’re my guy,” McNutt said.
“But I’m talking to you.”
“You’re my girl,” Smith replied.
“But you missed too many episodes of First Take.”
“And you really do. You’re wonderful. I mean this with all my heart.
“That’s how you got here.”
Stewart added that he “would have [McNutt] every day during the playoffs,” prompting the ESPN star to release a surprised “Wow.”
McNutt didn’t appear much on First Take after his falling out with Smith.
But earlier this week, she explained that her absence was caused by covering the NBA Finals in Boston, Massachusetts.
“A little PSA for those of us who are worried, I [First Take] & [Stephen A. are] okay,” she wrote.
McNutt also expressed gratitude for the love he received after the heated argument with Smith.
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