The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has stirred conversation far beyond the basketball court. A heated online debate has emerged around their dynamic, with discussions of bias and perceived animosity taking center stage. The question on many fans’ minds: Does Angel Reese actually dislike Caitlin Clark?
The discourse recently drew in two former NFL players and analysts. Ryan Clark called out Robert Griffin III over comments he made on X about Reese, questioning Griffin’s perspective on the situation. Griffin, in turn, didn’t appreciate the criticism from his former ESPN colleague, and the exchange quickly became tense.
RGIII Responds to Clark’s Criticism Amid Angel Reese Commentary
During a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky, Caitlin Clark committed a flagrant foul on Angel Reese to prevent a basket. Immediately after the play, Reese charged toward Clark, yelling at her in a heated moment.
While her postgame comments struck a calmer tone, that initial reaction became the center of online discussion.
Caitlin Clark received a flagrant foul on this play.
Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese received offsetting technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/jzQYEW92TW
— ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025
Following the incident, an online debate reignited over the rivalry between the two athletes — one that dates back to their college days.
Griffin III chimed in on his account, stating that, in his view, it was more than clear that Angel Reese harbors hate toward her rival, Caitlin Clark.
After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark. I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 17, 2025
“After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark. I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate.”
Griffin’s comment immediately sparked backlash, with many accusing him of doing a disservice by publicly criticizing a Black woman amid a controversial situation. That’s when his former ESPN colleague, Clark, stepped into the conversation.
Speaking on “The Pivot”, Clark said that Griffin’s own lived experiences prevented him from fully understanding the nuance of the situation, noting that, as a Black man who has twice married white women, Griffin may lack the perspective needed to grasp the deeper dynamics at play.
RGIII saying he could recognize “hate when ‘he’ see(s) it”, when referring to Angel Reese’s feelings toward Caitlin Clark was irresponsible, but not at all surprising. Clark’s the biggest star in women’s basketball, & deservedly so. No need to beat up Reese to add shine to it.… pic.twitter.com/u2IDFwctf0
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) May 19, 2025
“If you’re RGIII, when is the last time within your household you’ve had a conversation about what she’s dealing with? You haven’t been able to do that because in both of your marriages, you’ve been married to white women. You haven’t had opportunities to have those conversations to educate you on what they’re feeling, what black women deal with, what they’re seeing when they think of a young Angel Reese,” Clark said.
Clark’s comments also didn’t sit well with some people. In his video, Clark implied that Griffin didn’t fully understand the issue due to his marital choices, a suggestion that sparked strong backlash. Griffin responded forcefully on his X account, clearly upset with the personal nature of Clark’s remarks.
There’s a line you don’t cross in life and Ryan Clark sprinted past it.
Ryan Clark didn’t like my take on Angel Reese hating Caitlin Clark. That’s fine. Disagreement is part of the game. But instead of debating my point, he personally attacked me and my family. That shows how… pic.twitter.com/YDisnkvpMQ
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 19, 2025
“There’s a line you don’t cross in life and Ryan Clark sprinted past it,” Griffin wrote. “Ryan Clark didn’t like my take on Angel Reese hating Caitlin Clark. That’s fine. Disagreement is part of the game. But instead of debating my point, he personally attacked me and my family. That shows how low of person he is.”
Griffin continued by directly addressing each of Clark’s points from the video, systematically pushing back and expressing in detail what specifically bothered him about his former colleague’s remarks.
“Ryan Clark said I don’t understand the struggles of Black women because I’m married to a white woman. That’s wrong and way out of bounds. He suggested I don’t value my wife as the woman I love, protect and raise a family with but only value her because of the color of her skin. That’s wrong and way out of bounds.”
In his lengthy post on X, it became clear that Clark’s comments struck a deeply personal chord with Griffin and veered away from the sports-related debate they initially intended to have.
Their relationship now appears to have reached a point of no return. At the end of his video response, Griffin called Clark’s actions cowardly and claimed they reflect poorly on ESPN for keeping him on as an analyst.
In response to Griffin’s remarks, Ryan Clark stated that he had always supported the former quarterback — even during times when Griffin was, in his words, a bad teammate.
Bruh you know what it is with me and you! I saved you the entire season on MNF. I urged people to let you be you. No matter how corny, how bad a teammate you were I had your back. What did you do? Invite someone on your show you know I don’t fool with to ask questions about me,… https://t.co/DVowpagZFk
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) May 19, 2025
“I saved you the entire season on MNF. I urged people to let you be you. No matter how corny, how bad a teammate you were I had your back. What did you do? Invite someone on your show you know I don’t fool with to ask questions about me, and then hit me weeks later to tell me you’re gonna challenge one of my takes!”
Clark added: “You’re a phony bro. One of the worst teammates I ever had both on the field and in TV. You gotta do what you gotta do. I didn’t attack your wife. I spoke on what you do on social media and Tv. Like I said. I met your wife and she seemed like a lovely lady that was worth more than the color of her skin! You be good bruh.”
It is clear now that their relationship had already been strained since their days as NFL teammates — a tension that has now carried over into their media careers.
Beyond the ongoing rivalry between the WNBA stars, a new and very public rivalry between NFL analysts appears to be emerging.