Former WNBA star Rebecca Lobo receives backlash for comments on Albany during Iowa-LSU broadcast
Elite 8 games were held at MVP Arena in Albany, New York
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former WNBA All-Star Rebecca Lobo was born in Hartford, Connecticut.
Hartford is located around 111 miles from Albany, New York's MVP Arena, which hosted Monday's highly-anticipated NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Elite Eight game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers.
Lobo shared her thoughts and what she perceived as a lack of offerings from New York's capital city. In the fourth quarter, Caitlin Clark’s family was shown on the ESPN broadcast. Play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco recalled a comment from Clark in which the Iowa star said her family asked about pregame entertainment options in the surrounding area.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
ESPN analyst and former player, Rebecca Lobo prior to the National Final game of the 2013 NCAA Division I Womens Basketball Championship at New Orleans Arena on April 9, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana between the Connecticut Huskies and the Louisville Cardinals. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
"Just go find something to do in Albany. I’m staying in my room and just waiting for the game," Clark responded, according to Ruocco. Lobo then chimed in, suggesting that the Clark family would struggle to find what they were looking for.
"By the way, good luck finding something to do in Albany," Lobo said as she laughed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CHIEFS' RASHEE RICE ‘COOPERATING WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES’ AFTER DALLAS CAR CRASH: REPORT
While some likely viewed the remark as merely a throwaway one-liner, it also left some Albany natives feeling slighted.
Lobo's comment even caught Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan's attention, who offered to give the ESPN broadcaster a tour of the city.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ESPN analyst and former WNBA player Rebecca Lobo attends the game between the Washington Mystics and the Atlanta Dream on June 23, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
"There’s plenty to do if you take the time to look — some of the nation’s oldest museums, a stately Capitol, award-winning restaurants, and a basketball game or two downtown," Sheehan wrote on X, the company formerly known as Twitter. "@RebeccaLobo, let’s take a ride before you leave town. Happy to show you all there is to see and do."
Lobo eventually took to social media to respond to the backlash saying, "I’ve spent many fun-filled weekends in the Albany area over the years coaching my kids’ AAU teams. No shade intended towards the capital city and the outstanding job they did hosting the regional."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Clark finished the game with 41 points, to help push the Hawkeyes past the Tigers. Iowa is now scheduled to take on UConn in the Final Four on April 5.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.