Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas called for basketball fans and the general public to show more respect to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for what they’ve done for the WNBA
in their two seasons.
NBA Veteran Arenas Defends WNBA Stars’ Impact
As the WNBA is set to enter its All-Star weekend, Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky power forward Angel Resse dominate discussion about the league, but not in the best terms. NBA veteran and podcast host Gilbert Arenas isn’t going for that framing, and has called for the public to respect the game of both players adding to the league’s popularity.
“This is why we’re watching, this is why social media is good, you’re either going to welcome us or not.”@GilsArenaShow says Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese deserve more respect for bringing in WNBA views 👀 pic.twitter.com/0yaRwxQf0N
— Underdog (@Underdog) July 10, 2025
“The WNBA conversation is so weird,” Arenas began on the latest episode of his Gil’s Arenas podcast, “because as a group they don’t want to face reality. And the reality is, before these two girls, the views weren’t where they were.”
“You know, the two girls that’s coming in, they’re not established. They’re not pro’s pros like you guys,” he continued. “They’re coming in with a fanbase, right? It’s like the rap game, you’ve already got fans from g****** YouTube or whatever. So your numbers are going to do what they’re going to do even though you don’t have the stats.”
Reese and Clark have been subject to intense scrutiny since their Women’s Final Four matchup in 2023, where Reese and Louisiana State University won out over Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Clark would be the number one pick in the 2024 draft, and Reese would be seventh. Since then, their matchups in the WNBA have been ringed with intensity,
sparking a major rise in viewership for the league.
MORE: WNBA Analyst Reveals Why She Doesn’t Think Caitlin Clark is the Face of WNBA Just Yet
Arenas deemed it unnecessary to trash the two. “You don’t need to sit there and throw dirt on me. I didn’t ask for it, I’m just the one that was granted with the light,” he stated of the impact they have. “This is why we’re watching, this is why social media is good, you’re either going to welcome us or not.”
The presence of Caitlin Clark, who’s regarded as one of the best collegiate women’s basketball players ever, has impacted the viewership of the WNBA significantly. According to reporting by Front Office Sports, her playoff games with the Fever last year against the Connecticut Sun pulled in 1.8 million viewers and 2.5 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, respectively.
Angel Reese has also contributed to the high viewership of the WNBA, making a significant impact on her Chicago Sky team as a capable rebounder and scorer this season. The Baltimore native was recently made the cover figure for the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26 on Wednesday (July 9), earning praise and some scorn from Clark fans.
