Self-proclaimed Caitlin Clark stan Dave Portnoy slammed Angel Reese in another no-holds-barred rant Thursday.
Neither Clark nor Reese competed in the WNBA Finals, as Indiana Fever fell to Connecticut Sun in the first round, while Chicago Sky failed to make the playoffs altogether. Regardless, that did not stop them from generating headlines.
For Reese, it was because she attended the WNBA Finals wearing a split outfit bearing the jerseys of both finalists New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. Liberty won by a narrow 3-2 margin on October 20.
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Reacting to the Finals, and specifically to Reese’s attendance, Portnoy didn’t hold back even though he said he did not watch the games as Clark and the Fever weren’t playing. “If a male was doing what Angel Reese is doing she would get crucified, regardless of skin color, regardless of anything,” he said on the Barstool Pick Em podcast.
Portnoy continued: “She’s a rookie in the league whose team sucked, who a–ed out at the end of the season with an injury, who won’t shut up about herself, who ran their best player out of town, the coach got fired, and she started a podcast five seconds into the thing creating all this controversy.”
Portnoy then compared Reese to his WNBA idol Clark and seemed to suggest Clark’s professionalism and attitude to the sport trumps Reese’s. “Imagine if your first-round draft pick had the season she had, the controversy she had, got injured in a questionable injury, a–ed out, and then started a podcast gossiping about everything in the league as a rookie. Please,” he said. “Meanwhile, Caitlin is head down, just … in the gym, you don’t hear a peep from her.”
Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky reacts after fouling Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 (
Getty Images)
In her maiden year in the WNBA, Clark returned 19.2 points per game on average, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds from 40 games played in total. Reese, meanwhile, returned 13.6 points per game, 1.9 assists, and 13.1 rebounds from 34 games played.
The rivalry between the two players dates back for years, even though they’ve only captivated mainstream attention this year. Speaking recently on her Apologetically Angel podcast, Reese said they’ve always “talked trash to one another” since High School.
Reese added that she believes Clark’s fans created a false narrative about their relationship, which, she claims, is one built on a healthy competitive rivalry. “The Iowa fans [and] now the Indiana fans, like, ride for her. And I respect that. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it, and I don’t believe she stands on any of that.”
Reese finished by remarking that she does not believe Clark “has hatred” towards her, and she doesn’t have “hatred towards” Clark, either. Reese received death threats, she said, and saw people following her home, on occasion. “Basketball is literally [just] a game.”
The WNBA is expected to resume play for the 2025 season in May.
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