Shakira Austin makes her feelings clear on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese narrative's impact on others

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have become one of the biggest rivalries in women’s basketball. The two players brought their intense feud from their collegiate days to the WNBA, producing fan wars and a polarized nature among supporters across the league’s bubble.

One of the players who has spoken out about its effect on the league is Washington Mystics’ Shakira Austin. Talking to US Weekly on Monday, Austin expressed her feelings about the heated rivalry between Clark and Reese and explained how it affected the WNBA's fanbases.

“We’re always going to feel like we have to deal with ignorant people," Austin said. "Unfortunately, as women, we’re just on the back end of that stick. We just keep fighting and trying to find our real communities, trying to find people who support us. In a sense, just ignoring those trolls.

“It’s gotten worse in the past year for sure. You know, the whole Caitlin and Angel thing. It’s getting pretty bad.”

Austin also pointed out the troll comments players have received throughout the WNBA, which, she said, stemmed from the polarization of supporters of women’s basketball because of such feuds like Clark and Reese’s.

“It’s getting tiring seeing the same annoying comments," Austin added. "I get calls from my Dad all the time. He’s like, ‘Oh my God, I want to say something to this little troll so bad.’ I’m like, ‘Dad, no. Just ignore them.’... Honestly with the growth of the game, we’re unfortunately dealing with even more of a fight with accepting us and understanding us.”

Austin, 24, was the third pick of the 2022 WNBA draft, two years before Reese and Clark entered the league in 2024.

After a somewhat promising rookie season, Austin has been marred with injuries in the past two years, only playing a combined 31 games in the past two seasons for the Mystics. Last season, she averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds as the WNBA saw an uptick in viewers that presumably stemmed from the popularity of rookies Clark and Reese.

Caitlin Clark calls out internet trolls for throwing hate comments at WNBA players

Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the WNBA marked a new era for women’s basketball. But with her arrival, there came numerous issues surrounding new fans, including hateful comments hurled towards players.

Talking at a press conference last September, Clark called out such fans, saying that what they are doing is a disservice to the sport.

“It’s definitely upsetting," Clark said. "Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism – hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA.”

There has been a slew of hateful comments reported by WNBA players throughout the season, especially during the playoffs, as the league saw record-high viewership in 2024.