The first showdown between Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky this WNBA season had fans hyped, and it delivered. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, it was intense. Reese took hits, Clark got physical, and the Fever pulled off a close win.
But while the game had everyone talking, what happened after that completely took over. Clark committed a flagrant foul on Reese, and the internet went wild with theories and speculations about the long-standing rivalry. The online reaction was loud, divided, and, according to one analyst, missing the point entirely.
Elle Duncan Says Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Drama Overshadows the Game
The Clark-Reese rivalry was supposed to be about great basketball. But according to ESPN’s Elle Duncan, the conversation around it has taken a frustrating turn. Instead of focusing on what’s happening on the court, people are turning it into a messy debate full of bias, personal attacks, and social agendas.
On “The Right Time with Bomani Jones,” she called out how messy and unfair the Clark-Reese conversation has become.
“We are not getting anywhere at this point. We’re just not,” Duncan said. “This is a very disingenuous space right now. Nobody is really here to listen to anybody else’s perspective.”
She pointed out how quickly things turn political. “If LeBron James posts that Caitlin Clark is his favorite player, then he’s getting s*** for not protecting Black women,” she said. “And if you post that Angel Reese is your favorite player, then you’re trying to stifle Caitlin Clark’s greatness. It’s just unreal.”
Bomani & Elle are tired of how the WNBA’s being covered lately 😕
"Caitlin Clark would love for you to focus on the basketball part … The Fever are real contenders." pic.twitter.com/kgyTck3hc5
— The Right Time with Bomani Jones (@righttimebomani)
Duncan said people are too focused on drama instead of what really matters — the basketball.
“I’m not out here trying to sell you, ‘Let’s pivot away from Caitlin Clark and talk about…’ I am just saying Caitlin Clark herself would love for you to focus on the basketball part of it because the Fever this year, guys, are real contenders.
She mentioned how it’s not just Clark doing the work: “Aliyah Boston is doing great. Kelsey Mitchell is doing great. Sophie [Cunnningham] is a great piece. They’re actually contending,” she added.
Clark has been putting up strong numbers — 19 points, six rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game. Her Fever squad is 2-2, and both losses came down to the final minutes. The Sky, on the other hand, is still looking for its first win. Reese has been rebounding well, averaging 13.7 boards, but she’s only scoring nine points per game so far.
The online noise started after Reese committed a hard foul on Clark during a fast break in the fourth quarter. It was ruled a Flagrant 1.
Clark explained it later: “It’s just a good take foul. Either Angel gets wide-open two points, or we send them to the free-throw line. There is nothing malicious about it.”
But the internet had its own take. People jumped to conclusions, and things turned ugly fast.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III went on X and claimed, “Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark.” That sparked backlash and got a brief response from ESPN’s Ryan Clark, who said it was part of a bigger pattern of unfairly labeling Reese as a villain.
That side conversation kept growing, but Duncan and others just wanted to bring things back to the court. Right now, the Clark-Reese rivalry has the WNBA buzzing. But if all anyone wants to talk about is drama, then we’re all missing what made this matchup exciting in the first place.
