The WNBA is in a unique place right now. The league is growing rapidly, gaining popularity by the day. This also comes at a time when the WNBA seems to be the center of several political debates that go well beyond the court.
One ESPN commentator noted another issue with the league, and one that is more about what’s not being said.
Commentator Pleads for Real Criticism in the WNBA
ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco appeared on the “Girls Tripp” podcast and called out a major issue he sees in today’s WNBA.
Ryan Ruocco: “People have to be critical of more than just Caitlin Clark…most of the ecosystem feels comfortable being critical about one player maybe two. Angel would be the other. Everybody else people are very afraid to say anything bad about…and that’s not real sports.” pic.twitter.com/bKIBxAjHbs
— correlation (@nosyone4) August 28, 2026
“For this league to grow, people have to feel comfortable being critical and it not being a personal attack or hating,” Ruocco said. “And people have to be critical of more than just Caitlin Clark quite frankly. In my opinion, most of the ecosystem feels comfortable being critical about one player, maybe two. Angel would be the other.”
Ruocco makes the point that so much of WNBA criticism is geared toward Caitlin Clark, with Angel Reese being next in line. The two seem to dominate the headlines for reasons that sometimes have little to do with actual basketball.
“Everybody else, people are very afraid to say anything bad about, even if it’s a very small, micro thing,” he continued. “And that’s not real sports.”
This is a strong take, and one that comes from someone who directly covers the WNBA. If Ruocco makes this observation, it’s clear he has been thinking about it for some time.
The WNBA continues to expand and has just recently started handing out million-dollar deals to its players. Clark and Reese showing up in 2024 brought the league into a new stratosphere, only for both to be criticized seemingly more than anyone else in the league.
The league has far more storylines than those surrounding Clark and Reese, and it appears a top voice like Ruocco is over the fact that he cannot do simple basketball analysis on other teams and players without pushback.
A key point from his comments is that he views this problem as one limiting the league’s growth. There are new expansion teams on the way, and salaries are going up, but fan interest still needs to rise for the WNBA to thrive. Limiting criticism to a few big names may cause potential new fans to tune out and be fed up with the drama.
It is up to the WNBA to hear criticism like this and take it to heart.
