Whitney Cummings Says Sabrina Carpenter 'The Conners' Rejection Was A Blessing

Whitney Cummings says rejecting Sabrina Carpenter from "The Conners" was the best thing that could have happened to the pop star.

We got Whitney on Thursday at LAX and our photog asked the former 'Conners' showrunner about the time Sabrina tried to get on the show.

Whitney says Sabrina auditioned for the role of Harris Conner-Healy back in the day, but they ultimately passed because they were looking for someone with a darker energy.

As Whitney remembers it, Sabrina lit up the room with her presence ... and while that's usually a good thing for folks ... it wasn't right for the role.

Thing is ... Whitney says Sabrina's career actually benefited as a result of not being cast on the TV show ... telling us Sabrina would have had to take her focus away from her music career, which has since blown up.

Whitney even jokes she deserves a cut of Sabrina's tour profits ... or at least some front-row seats to the show ... telling us denials are often the best thing for Hollywood careers.