Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are simultaneously posting two of the greatest rookie seasons in WNBA history, which is only the latest chapter in their shared history.
According to Reese, that history has led to some awful behavior directed toward her by Clark’s fans.
In the first episode of her new “Unapologetically Angel” podcast, Reese was asked by co-host Maya Reese (no relation) about Clark, whom she clashed with twice during their college careers. Reese went out of her way to praise Clark before alleging that her fans have harassed her in ways including death threats, following her home and fabricating naked pictures of her through AI, with some sent to her family.
Reese’s comments:
“Caitlin is an amazing player and I’ve always thought she was an amazing player. We’ve been playing each other since high school. So I think it’s really just the fans — her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans — that are, like, they ride for her and I respect that, respectfully, but sometimes it’s very disrespectful.
“I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it and I don’t believe she stands on any of that. But when it comes to death threats, like, I’m talking about people have come down to my address, following me home, it’s come down to that. Multiple occasions, people have made AI pictures of me naked, literally. They have sent it to my family members. My family members are, like, uncles are sending it to me, like, “Oh, are you naked on Instagram?”
“It sucks to see that and it’s really hard that I have to go through that, and now seeing other players even having to go through that.”
Reese went on to reiterate her respect for Clark, and even promised they will become teammates one day:
At the end of the day, it’s a game that we do both love, but there is no hate. We’re going to play on the same team one day, I’m sure. We’re definitely going to play on the same team one day.”
Clark has rapidly become the biggest name in women’s basketball, which has been great for the league’s TV ratings and less so for the volume of the discourse around her. Months ago, she denounced “fans” using her name to push bigoted agendas involving her opponents.
Reese and the Chicago Sky in particular have claimed to see the ugly side of the attention paid to Clark, most notably after Chennedy Carter hit Clark with a needless shoulder check and refused questions about it. It was one of many hard fouls Clark has received this season.
While many denounced Carter’s actions during and after that game, the team alleged one person took it further by harassing her at a team hotel. A subsequent video showed that person only attempting to ask Carter questions, but one Sky player said it was edited to remove him saying much more profane things, such as “ghetto b****.”
Another Sky player, Diamond DeShields, barreled into Clark and later shared one account saying they hoped her spinal tumor would come back.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark’s rivalry has become a core WNBA storyline
Reese and LSU defeated Clark’s Iowa team in the national championship game last year, with Reese becoming a national talking point after she famously taunted Clark in the final seconds of the game. Clark’s profile has continued to rise since then, and Reese’s alongside it.
The discourse around the two players has become even louder now that they’re the clear top two players in the running for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. Clark is the favorite given that she’s on pace to post the most assists ever in a WNBA season, the third-most 3-pointers and the only two rookie triple-doubles in WNBA history, along with leading the Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Reese, however, already holds the WNBA single-season record for rebounds as well as the league’s longest double-double streak.
The WNBA would have wanted both of these players to become stars, and that wish is so far being granted. It hasn’t been a story without turbulence, though, and it isn’t fair to either player for Reese to deal with what she’s alleging.
