While a sweeping federal gambling probe has rocked the NBA, there is no credible link to Donald Trump or any indication that the WNBA is under the same scrutiny.
In recent remarks on ESPN’s First Take, commentator Stephen A. Smith suggested that former President Donald Trump “is coming” for the NBA and WNBA and framed the federal investigation into the NBA as part of Trump’s revenge campaign. However, a review of available evidence shows no basis for that claim.
Federal authorities have indicted 34 individuals, including current and former NBA figures, such as Hall of Famer Chauncey Billips, and current NBA player, Terry Rozier, for alleged participation in illegal sports-betting and poker-rigging schemes tied to major Mafia families.
In response to Smith’s comments, FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that ESPN producers’ comments were “the dumbest” thing he’s ever heard.
Crucially, the indictments and reporting give no indication that Trump is directing this investigation, nor has any credible source tied the probe to political targeting of the WNBA.
Smith’s forecast that the WNBA could be “next on his list” appears speculative and unsupported by the current public record.
The betting scandal reflects vulnerabilities exposed by the rapid expansion of legalized sports wagering in the U.S., coupled with organized-crime infiltration of underground poker rings and prop-bet manipulation—not any presidential directive or political agenda.
Smith’s framing of the scandal as revenge by a former president echoes a familiar narrative of politicized targeting, but in this case, the facts simply do not align. Until investigators present evidence of intent or coordination beyond the illegal-gambling network itself, claims of political revenge remain purely speculative.
