Bob Costas calls out potential racial bias in WNBA foul coverage citing Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark: "Because it's a black-on-black incident"

Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark
Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark's media coverage gets questioned by Bob Costas and cited potential racial bias (Image Credit: Bob Costas and Angel Reese' Instagram, Caitlin Clark from Indiana Fever's X account)

WNBA rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have been in the limelight for the past few days and former NBC Sports sportscaster Bob Costas pointed out the disparity in their foul coverage by the media. During an appearance on CNN, Costas highlighted the hard foul incident between the Connecticut Sun's Alyssa Thomas and Chicago Sky's Angel Reese that didn't get that much attention.

Meanwhile, when Sky guard Chennedy Carter shoved Fever rookie Caitlin Clark during Saturday night's matchup, the media focused on how physical opposing players have been on Clark. Despite Reese being grabbed by the throat in mid-air and thrown down by Thomas, Costas found the difference in coverage questionable between the two rookies.

The former sportscaster's comments were shared on X by user Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing).

"There was an incident ... Alyssa Thomas, who happens to be African-American, grabbed Angel Reese by the throat," Costas said, "and threw her to the floor. Flagrant 2, ejected from the game. The reason why that doesn't spark as much conversation isn't just that Caitlin Clark is a bigger star than Alyssa Thomas, it's because it's a black-on-black incident."

Costas highlighted the potential racial bias in the media coverage, which has garnered strong debates left and right. However, he urged the same level of treatment experienced by Caitlin Clark to be handed to Angel Reese.


Angel Reese wants the same credit for the WNBA's growth to go to every player in the league

During media interviews, Reese shared her strong stance regarding the incredible growth the WNBA has experienced. The Sky rookie clarified that she wanted the same level of credit and respect to go to the players who laid the groundwork and the current ones continuing their legacy.

"The reason why we're watching women's basketball is not just because of one person," Reese said. "It's because of me, too. I want ya'll to realize that. Like, it's not just because of one person. A lot of us have done so much for this game. Chennedy has been here before, obviously, but there are so many great players in this league that have deserved this for a long time."

Over the years, the WNBA made strides in garnering more attention and following from fans and the media. The arrival of a talented rookie class helped push the league in the right direction. However, Reese made sure that people were aware of how their current position came to be, claiming it didn't come from a single player.

Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann
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