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Since going up against each other in the 2023 NCAA Championship game, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been continuously matched up in comparisons and debates. In the latest episode of "The Stephen A. Smith Show," the NBA analyst provided an interesting angle when a fan asked if there are any racial connotations associated with the rivalry between the two promising rookies.
Smith pointed out that their different playing styles might be the aspect that drives the conversations.
"You can say race, I think it's styles," Smith said (1:06). "I think if Caitlin Clark was as outspoken as Angel Reese ... and they play the same position, their battles would be embraced more favorably. Caitlin Clark actually plays with more sizzle in her game because she could pull up from the logo. ... [Angel Reese] is rough and tumble, she can get it done."
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Originally, the two WNBA rookies had their first fiery interaction when Angel Reese imitated wrestler John Cena's famous "You Can't See Me" when LSU outlasted Iowa in the 2023 NCAA Women's title game. It was a way to talk some smack to Clark, who used the same move whenever she would get the better of her opponents.
WNBA legend weighed in on Angel Reese's flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark
During an appearance on Gilbert Arenas's "Gil's Arena," WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes shared her perspective on how the media covered Angel Reese's flagrant one foul on Caitlin Clark.
"It's the clip they want to post because they're going to get all these likes and reposts," Swoopes said, "But that's a basketball play. She hit her in the head so of course it's a flagrant one. Ref looked at it, they upgraded it, can we keep playing basketball. My thing is, everytime Caitlin gets fouled, we can't make it seem like she was assaulted. Fouling is a part of basketball."
The hard foul occurred last Sunday night when Clark was going up strong for a lay-up and while going for blocking the shot, Reese's hand ended up hitting the Fever rookie's head.
The fans and the media found the play to be an ongoing thing in the WNBA when it comes to the treatment of the former Iowa guard. However, Swoopes argued that being physical in the sport has always been a natural thing.
