Stephen A. Smith makes his feelings clear on Angel Reese deleting Instagram after her bold New Year outfit draws major backlash 

Stephen A. Smith weighed in on Angel Reese deleting her Instagram following the immense flak she copped for her bold New Year outfit. The analyst dished out a lengthy explanation that started with his admiration for the Chicago Sky forward, the moolah in the WNBA, Brittney Griner's struggle in Russia, and finally the comparison to Caitlin Clark to add depth behind his take on Reese's actions.

Earlier, Reese was subject to criticism for her choice of revealing clothing that didn't go down well on social media. Tori Cooper, the journalist who was on the latest episode of 'The Stephen A. Smith Show', asked the analyst about his views on the whole shebang.

[Starts 48:00 onwards]

Smith started by saying how backlash was a problem for a lot of people. He cautioned Reese that she shouldn't be exposing herself to it and provoke the backlash.

"I love the fact she's participating in this Unrivaled league because she's made it clear she doesn't want to go overseas to play. We all know what happened with Brittney Griner when she went to Russia. We all felt like it was politicized and she was rail-roaded. We all saw that she suffered for months of her life. We don't wish that for anybody and we lamented the fact that she had to go overseason, not Angel Reese, but Brittney Griner because a lot of them had to over the years because you got to supplement the income, because the income that you're making in the WNBA isn't nearly enough. I think when you talk about the salary, it was like approximately $124,000 if I remember correctly."

He later went about addressing the problem by bringing in Caitlin Clark as the comparison. Smith recounted the duo's tussle pre-WNBA and how they later went about building their brands. He also bypassed the "inescapable White-Black dynamic" and chose to focus on how their branding differentiated them from each other.

"What's not debatable is how Caitlin Clark has handled her brand. With Angel Reese, you sometimes find yourself scratching your head wondering what the hell she's doing, like that photo right there. She's a beautiful young lady, and there are a lot of beautiful young ladies in the WNBA, but you can't come down the line and complain about being objectified later on. It's not going to work with people. When you do stuff like that and draw attention to yourself, that can be problematic for you, especially when the comparison is going to be drawn to Caitlin Clark who isn't doing such things."

It all began when Angel Reese posted a video of herself in a revealing outfit on New Year's Eve. Her cutout animal print dress featuring a deep neckline and high slit had a section of fans criticizing the choice of clothing and setting a bad example to those who considered her a role model and an influence. While she is active on X, Reese's IG has since been inactive after the repercussions.

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Angel Reese leaves a cryptic message on social media ahead of Unrivaled action

Earlier, Angel Reese took to X to leave a cryptic message as he gears up for play for Rose BC in the Unrivaled League.

"Them mf tables always turn," Reese said in her tweet.

It's unclear what the Sky star is referring to. But what can be safe to say is that Reese is set to be part of a new move in women's basketball that guarantees more eyeballs to the sport. All eyes will also be on how she fares in her sophomore year as the Sky look to make the playoffs after missing out on a berth last season.