‘Basketball Wives’ Recap: Are the Ladies Gaslighting OG About Colorism Accusations?

The ninth season of VH1’s “Basketball Wives” is starting to take shape, with the ladies going to two separate mansions for a two-week “Big Brother” style vacation to have fun and hash out their differences. Unfortunately, neither occurred during last night’s episode.

In the episode, we see how the ladies are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic and learning to live a new normal. Everyone seems genuinely excited about the idea of seeing the other ladies—that is, until they arrive at the mansions and must confront their past behavior and comments.

Let’s dive into the details with our recap of “Basketball Wives”, season 9, episode 3.

Ladies Arrive to Casa de Evelyn

The episode starts off with the ladies arriving in their respective mansions. Queue the Doja Cat.

Evelyn is the first to arrive. The mansion is immaculate and we see plenty of masks, disinfectant and other PPE supplies.

All the ladies are getting tested and quarantining.

Next, Shaunie arrives with the smallest bag we can imagine a woman can possibly take for a two-week trip. She either plans to do some shopping, wear sweatpants the whole time, or cut out early. We shall see.

Evelyn does a temperature check. All clear. So far, so good.

The ladies look really happy to see each other after weeks of quarantining with their children.

Evelyn asks Shaunie if she’s found any Clorox Wipes. She hasn’t either. The Clorox shortage of 2020 will forever etched in all our memories.

Shaunie selects her room, and its well-appointed with a bidet.

They have some fun with the bidet which ends with Evelyn showing how someone would wash their privates using the device. What is with this woman and making gestures to her lady areas?

Malaysia arrives at the mansion and explains (again) to Shaunie and Evelyn why she doesn’t like Jackie—for allegedly spreading rumors about her finances and children. Whatever the rumor was, it clearly was false, as Malaysia has a fabulous home in Atlanta and enjoys a healthy relationship with her children from what we can see.

Upon being told that Jackie will be in a separate house, Malaysia lets out a “Hallelujah.”

Jackie Begins Mission to ‘Clear the Air’ at Mansion 2

Next, we see Jackie in the second mansion telling Doug it looks just like the photos. Nothing but the best for VH1.

Jennifer arrives with a luggage size fit for a Queen. Shaunie’s bag may be too small, but what does Jennifer have in that bag? A glam squad? At least travel was local so she probably didn’t incur any overweight baggage charges.

Jackie and Jennifer have a toast in a kitchen filled with bottles of brown liquor. That can’t be a good sign. They toast to “clearing the air.”

Jackie says in her confessional that this may be the last chance the ladies have to salvage their sisterhood. Like, what have they being doing for the last five seasons?

“A little physical distance is the key to possibly getting us all back to together,” Jackie says about the second house, which makes no sense. If you wanted to pull the ladies closer together, wouldn’t you want to put them in the same house? Just asking.

An unbothered Jennifer says she’s just there for some “girl time, to sip some champagne, and a little tea too.”

Jackie proposes they cheers to “sisterhood, false behavior, and to clearing the air” to which Jennifer says puzzledly “with who?” How about between you and Malaysia about the chair-throwing incident in Amsterdam?

“My air is very clean, honey,” Jen says. I guess moving to Atlanta has turned Jen into a Southern Belle now.

“I’m in a great space in my life,” Jen says. “I don’t want any enemies and no drama.” Touché.

To Mend Fences or Not to Mend Fences, That Is the Question

OG next arrives in the second mansion. She hasn’t seen the girls in a really long time and reveals that she and Kwame are trying to get pregnant.

Jackie asks if she’s talked to any of the ladies, including Shaunie, like they discussed in the last episode and she says no.

OG says she’s open to the discussing their issues but won’t force the situation. “Let them come over here if they want to bond.” Don’t hold your breath.

Jackie says they owe it to themselves to hash out their issues, and at the end of the day, it’s about sisterhood.

Jen says she doesn’t give “two shits about what’s going on in that house” and is not going over there.

Back in Ev’s Mansion, Liza and Kristen Arrive

Liza arrives to the house containing Evelyn, Shaunie and Malaysia. She confesses that, while she’s spent time with other basketball wives when Lamar played with the Lakers, the most she’s been with those type of women have been two hours—not two weeks. Run now while you have the chance, Liza.

Kristen arrives next at the house and its uneventful.

Feby then Facetimes Evelyn, wearing a doobie and pins. (Yes, she did) Feby has been quarantining because she was around someone who had COVID and doesn’t want to get anyone sick, especially the older women, she says. Feby turns 30 this year so enjoy all the old people jabs while you can.

Evelyn asks the question we’re thinking: “Were you super close to this person (guy)? Feby says yes, but no swapping spits. After all, who kisses on the mouth these days?

Evelyn goes back and tells the rest of the ladies that Feby said she think she may have COVID. Feby actually said she was “close to someone” who had COVID and is quarantine for everyone’s safety. The news is a downer to the ladies.

Evelyn, whose stepfather recently died from COVID says she hopes Feby would still be able to make it.

‘Zen Jen’ Says No to More Drama

Back at mansion 2, OG, Jennifer and Jackie over big glasses of wine discuss their issues with the other ladies.

Jennifer says she takes accountability and that people want to place blame on her. She said she has sat down with the other ladies multiple times to hash out their issues and it has went nowhere. She says she’s not “going to continue to go down the same path.”

Jackie’s is bothered that Jennifer is unbothered about her past drama with the ladies. “Jennifer’s ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude makes her look more bothered,” she says.

Jackie tells OG and Jennifer that she’s going over the other house. After all, VH1 has a whole hour to fill and you can’t do that by sitting around sipping wine.

Jen tells Jackie don’t bring that bad energy from the other house back over there. Jackie snaps back that she will bring “the devil himself” back to the house if that’s what she wants to do. Not the devil, Jackie.

Lamar and the Missing College Tuition Money

Back in the first mansion, Liza comes in and has a chat with Shaunie. She says needs girl time. With her kids going to college, she said moving to LA was supposed to be a fresh start but she’s had to deal with more Lamar Odom drama.

Lamar has been avoiding her, she says, because she’s looking to access the money he set aside for her son’s college education during his NBA playing days. She says it should be almost $200k and she isn’t getting any straight answers from him.

Shaunie hopes it’s all a big misunderstanding and that he will come up with the money. Clearly, they haven’t been reading the blogs about Lamar’s finances. That money probably already went up in smoke.

Jackie Crosses Into Enemy Territory to Extend Olive Branch

Jackie comes over and Evelyn gives her a tour of the mansion. Malaysia promptly leaves as Jackie enters the room she was in.

Guess it’s still too soon.

Jackie invites the ladies over to the mansion she’s in with OG and Jennifer.

Kristen says she wants to talk to OG about what she “felt, experienced, still feels she experienced today.” Dr. Kristen at your service.

Kristen thinks because she’s the same “melanin palette” as OG that she can better understand the situation. What’s so hard to understand about a monkey emoji being used in that context?

Evelyn’s not buying that Kristen’s conversation with OG will have any effect because “OG is lying.”

Jackie thinks it would be good if Kristen stopped by.

Evelyn, Shaunie Still Do Not Believe Colorism Accusations

Evelyn says people feeling hostile toward each other are among the “normal” things the ladies have went through. Guess her hurling bottles and Malaysia throwing a table Jennifer is what she considers normal.

But, “there’s a thin line between having little bullshit arguments and accusing people of being a racist when you know it’s a lie,” says Evelyn as she begins crying again. “My kids are black, my stepchild are black. Don’t make up things that could destroy lives, careers.”

Shaunie says she’s upset to see Evelyn so upset. Shaunie said she doesn’t discriminate against OG because she has darker skin, rather than she simply shows Evelyn favoritism because she’s her best friend.

Colorism, favoritism? Tomato-tomato.

Shaunie says she wants to give OG time to come around.

Jackie goes back to mansion 2 and tells OG that Kristen wants to bury the hatchet with her. Of course, that’s not what Kristen said. These ladies are never accurate when repeating conversations.

Ladies Advise Liza to Move On from Lamar

Back at mansion 1, Liza begins confiding in Shaunie, Evelyn and Malaysia about Lamar and how he’s been avoiding handing over their son’s college money.

Malaysia suspects she’s still hurt over Lamar, to which Liza retorts “oh no no, not in that way.”

Why is Liz’s bringing everyone down with Lamar’s drama?

Ev says Liza is preoccupied with everything that’s going on with Lamar. Sometimes Ev can be so insensitive to what other are going through.

Shaunie agrees Liza needs to move on.

Liz, in her confessional, says that it’s “easier said than done to tell someone to move on.” “But I have kids with him and when it comes to my kids’ education, I’m not going to let them fight that battle alone.”

“This is the up and down relationship of co-parenting with Lamar,” she says. We hope Lamar wins that exhibition fight against Aaron Carter in June so he can pay her, as this is embarrassing given how much money Lamar made as a NBA player.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Jennifer, Jackie, OG and Kristen sit down in mansion 2 for dinner.

Jen is dressed to kill in red. There’s more bottles on the table than there are people.

Kristen, aka “The Mole”, begins interrogating OG.

She wants to hear OG and listen to “how we got here.”

Kristen hits her with the forever condescending “I’m sorry you felt this way.” To which OG quickly retorts that she hasn’t expressed her feelings, only her experiences. Technically right, but also wrong. We get the gist of how you feel OG.

OG says Kristen is asking her questions like it’s the SAT.

Kristen says she too has experienced racism but just not from this group of women of color.

OG breaks it down. “You have Western features, your nose is slender. I have eccentric African features.” Interesting point.

OG says she’s even experienced colorism from Kristen, like when she chose Evelyn’s side during an argument last season.

That may be a stretch OG. After all, you did threaten to break her jaw. That’s reason enough to side with Evelyn in that case.

Like a good reporter, Kristen is taking in all this information.

Jennifer brings up instances where other women in the cast have throwing drinks and were not labeled or called “aggressive” like OG.

Jackie brings up the fact that she’s been called “crazy” and other names to illustrate that the ladies don’t discriminate in their name-calling. This is an apples-to-oranges comparison as calling somebody crazy is a lot different than posting monkey emojis.

The Ladies Dismiss OG’s Colorism Accusations

Kristen goes back to mansion 1 to report what was said at the dinner. Kristen said OG feels colorism isn’t just skin, but also facial features.

The ladies are dismissive of this claim.

Malaysia is heartened to know Jackie was defending the group.

Shaunie is thankful to Kristen for providing this information so she now knows that speaking with OG about colorism is “a space where there can’t be an understanding.” So much for trying.

Jackie Gets Upset at Ladies Lack of Interest in Reconciliation

Jackie says she really hopes that Kristen and OG now have an understanding of each other, to which OG says smartly “I wasn’t confused.”

Jackie was hoping that their issues would be resolved and gets upset that she’s getting yelled at just because she’s trying to brings the girls together.

Then Jackie tells Jennifer “don’t be coming at her like that cause she’s gonna snap.” Yes, Jackie, please snap cause these ratings have been slow out the gate.

Jackie raises her voice and is getting frustrated because OG and Jennifer aren’t too interested in mending fences.

“If these two negative Nancys don’t change their attitudes and make some changes, I’m going to have to take some drastic measures.”

We wonder what those changes could be? Stay tuned.

Side notes:

-Who had the better mansion? While Evelyn’s mansion is both big and beautiful, Jackie’s mansion is more contemporary, sans the bidet, and is a cozier setting for the three ladies in that house.

-In the preview for next week’s episode, we see sisters and entrepreneurs Nia and Noria Dorsey arriving to Jackie’s house. This should be interesting. We also think this season needs some fresh storylines injected because we’re going nowhere in resolving these old beefs.

-Jennifer was serving looks this episode. Unlike most of the other ladies, sans OG, Jen came to slay.

(Images courtesy of VH1)