'Skin-color tribalism': Lisa Leslie gets checked by Jason Whitlock for her take on Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark

Among the biggest talking points this WNBA season is the Rookie of the Year race between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. After LA Sparks icon Lisa Leslie shared her thoughts on the matter, she was hit with a stern response from Jason Whitlock.

While many fans and analysts have taken sides in the ROY conversation, Leslie went a different route. She took to X (formerly Twitter) to state that both players outdid expectations and were worthy of the award.

Jason Whitlock responded to Leslie's post, saying that Caitlin Clark is far ahead of Reese and that she only mentioned her because of her skin color.

Leslie was among those to play in the inaugural WNBA season in 1997 and was one of the league's first superstars. During her 13-year career, she was an eight-time All-Star and three-time MVP, and led the Sparks to a championship on two separate occasions.

As for Clark and Reese, both have built strong cases for Rookie of the Year. The Chicago Sky forward is coming off a historic feat, setting a single-season record for rebounds by recording her 418th in the game against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.

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Angel Reese's response to being in ROY race with Caitlin Clark

At the start of the season, Caitlin Clark was viewed as the heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year. Even though figures like Stephen A. Smith and Shaquille O'Neal have advocated for her, Angel Reese said she feels she shouldn't even be in the conversation but credited one area of her game for elevating her.

Before the Chicago Sky took on the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Reese was asked about the ROY debate between her and Clark.

"I was pick 7 I'm not supposed to be in the Rookie of the Year conversation," Reese said. [1:30] "But I am because of how hard I work, and not just offensively but on the defensive end and being able to rebound."

Rebounding has by far been the area in which Reese has excelled in the WNBA. Along with leading the league in rebounds per game (13.1), she made history by recording three straight games with 20+ boards.

Caitlin Clark is also a league leader, topping the WNBA with 8.4 assists per game. This impressive statistic is just one of the many factors adding to her strong ROY case.

With the season slowly coming to a close, the ROY debate continues to be a major talking point in the WNBA. Only time will tell which of these impressive first-year standouts will take home the prestigious honor.