Draymond Green is familiar with donning the villain’s role. He’s walked in those shoes for most of his 12-year career and has been hated for it from one coast to another. For all the things the proud native of Saginaw, Michigan, has done, one thing he hasn’t is run away from anything he’s done. He has owned up to whatever he’s said or done and has accepted the consequences that came with it.

Now, Dray has some advice for Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter, who has recently gotten the ire of the media and hoop fans for her actions against former NCAA legend and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. In their match-up last Saturday, Carter called the first-overall pick of this year’s WNBA Draft before bodychecking her to the ground. Afterward, Carter refused to entertain any questions that pertained to Clark or the incident in the postgame presser.

Green, renowned for his fiery personality and trash-talking on the court, underscores the significance of accountability in his advice to Carter. He believes that if she aspires to assume the role of a villain, she must fully embrace it and take ownership of her actions.

Love Chennedy’s fire

There’s a shared intensity in the competitive fire that fuels both Chennedy and Dray. It can scorch the opponent, but if not channeled correctly, it can also burn the one who wields it. Draymond admitted loving the physicality that the WNBA player displayed. However, he didn’t appreciate how the guard ran away from the firestorm her actions caused.

“Love what you did, but I don’t love how you went to the press conference and wouldn’t answer a question about it. Quite frankly, if you want to understand how this thing goes, I’ll give you a little advice. You want to take on the villain role? Great, love it. You want to be that enforcer on your team? Great, love it. But you can’t dodge the questions,” the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year said.

Embrace the hate

When someone plays the role of enforcer in the NBA, there’s no turning back from it. One player who stood out in this role is former Detroit Pistons big man Bill Laimbeer. The four-time All-Star was such an unapologetic brute who didn’t hesitate to lay somebody out at the height of the “Bad Boys” Pistons that many he crossed paths with still harbor resentment toward him.

As Draymond implied, Chennedy can’t just hit anyone and try to sidestep the backlash. The 5-foot-9 dared to call down the thunder and now, she has to reap the whirlwind.

“When you go to the press conference, you answer the questions. No dodging. No avoiding. You did what you did, stand on it. That’s all I’m saying. If I go to the podium, I’m not going to avoid answering a question about Rudy Gobert or whoever else. Stand on it,” the 34-year-old stressed.

After refusing to address the incident immediately after the match, Carter took to social media the very next day and made some disparaging comments regarding Caitlin. He also responded to comments Draymond made about the Fever needing to employ a player who could watch Clark’s back.

“Stand on what you did. You can’t then run to Twitter and make a statement. No, no, no. They had a chance to ask you a question, and you were there. Stand on what you say. Stand on what you do. That’s my only gripe with it,” Green remarked.

Draymond’s well-known for running his mouth and also backing those words up on the court. He’s never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, even if it means ruffling some feathers. And in this case, he believes that Chennedy should have stood by her actions and not tried to backtrack or make excuses.