Caitlin Clark‘s and Angel Reese‘s names will likely remain linked as long as either of them is in the WNBA. But some argue that is where the similarities between the two should stop, especially when considering the contrast between the way Clark has responded to some of her early WNBA career adversity versus Reese.
The Indiana Fever’s season has gotten off to a rough start, with the team only managing to win one of its first seven games. After Indiana’s seventh loss of the year to Cameron Brink and the Los Angeles Sparks on May 28, Clark spoke about the physical tactics teams have used when she’s played against them.
“I think everybody’s physical with me, they get away with things that probably other people don’t get away with,” Clark claimed.
For example, in Indiana’s May 22 game against Seattle, Clark was clearly whacked in the head by Ezi Magbegor. The refs did not call the foul. Seattle won the game 85 – 83.
Clark followed up those comments by essentially chalking up the aggressiveness as a byproduct of the WNBA.
“It’s tough. That’s just the facts of the matter. This is a very physical game. You’re going to get pressure, that’s just professional basketball. I think it is what it is, honestly.”
"I think everybody's physical with me, they get away with things that probably other people don't get away with," Caitlin Clark postgame, on physicality in the #WNBA pic.twitter.com/TdXHKyGXqg
— WillieGRamireZ (@WillieGRamirez) May 29, 2024
Clark’s comments came after she had arguably the best game of her professional basketball career and etched her name in WNBA history books by scoring 30 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the game against the Sparks, making her the fastest rookie in league history to reach 100 points and 50 assists.
But despite such a good game, some fans were still rubbed the wrong way by what they felt was Clark’s “woe-is-me” attitude about players being too physical with her. Several observers quickly compared how Angel Reese handled a very physical game against Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas.
During the May 25 game against the Connecticut Sun, the Bayou Barbie was on the receiving end of a pair of hard fouls from Thomas. Thomas and Reese were jockeying for position throughout the game, but at one point on a Sky offensive possession, the Sun forward lashed out and used her forearm across the Sky rookie’s throat to slam her to the floor as the two were battling for a rebound. Thomas was assessed a flagrant 2 foul call on the play and ejected from the game.
Afterward, Reese seemed to largely downplay the foul, saying she didn’t harbor any resentment toward Thomas.
“It’s not just cause I’m a rookie,” Reese said about the foul. “I’m a player. I’m a basketball player. They don’t give a damn if I’m a rookie. I mean, I want them to come at me every day, I want them to come at everybody. I mean, they’re not supposed to be nice to me. I hope you all know that. They’re not supposed to be nice to me or lay down because I’m Angel Reese or cause I’m a rookie.
“Like, thank you A.T. for sending a message to me because I got back up and kept going and kept pushing. Like, me and A.T. have been cool since we were in Maryland, so I know it’s not no hard feelings. I appreciate her for going at me every day.”
Angel Reese spoke on the hard foul given to hard by #CTSun Alyssa Thomas. Thomas was ejected from the game.
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) May 26, 2024
Reese: “Thank you AT for sending a message to me, because I got back up, I kept going and kept pushing.” #skytown #WNBA pic.twitter.com/7wVTAuQmjf
Fans were quick to point out the stark contrast between Reese’s postgame reaction to physicality versus Clark’s response.
“Angel would never give this at the podium,” one person wrote.
“Her vs Angel Reese response night and day,” another person pointed out.
“I like (Caitlin Clark) but honey … (Angel Reese) just got choked slammed and laughed about it,” a social media user said.
“Angel got pushed to the floor and on the next offensive play, got choke slammed to the floor. She finished the game and basically told AT, ‘I see you. It’s cool’ and instructed her supporters to relax. Meanwhile, CC….smh,” an X user stated.
One fan brought up the fact that Caitlin Clark was also guilty of not having flagrant fouls called on her. They posted a video of Clark guarding Seattle Storm’s Sami Whitcomb with the caption, “MIND YOU… that was a flagrant foul too and this the same girl that had 15 FREE THROWS last game…like stop it.”
MIND YOU…🙂 that was a flagrant foul too and this the same girl that had 15 FREE THROWS last game…like stop it🥱 https://t.co/rbEvQFeKia pic.twitter.com/xqdrm7N6gK
— La_Morena (@La_Morena0736) May 30, 2024
Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon also commented on how Reese handled herself during the situation with Thomas and spoke about the rookie’s competitive nature.
“That’s who [Reese] is. She loves this game, and she takes on every challenge that I put before her,” Weatherspoon said. “We know that she’s a rookie, but she’s a player. She wants to compete. She wants to compete against the best. And when you compete against those who have been here, know how good they are, all it’s going to do is help you to grow.
“She wants it. She loves it. She enjoys it, just like every other player on this team.”
