Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have quickly risen to become two of the most talented and high-profile players in the WNBA, even though their rookie seasons have yet to officially wrap up. Both players shattered records in 2024, helping to elevate the league during what became its most-watched season ever.
Their individual accomplishments and exciting style of play have created a bright future for the WNBA, but the conversation surrounding them has been marred by racial tension since well before the 2024 WNBA Draft.
The issue dates back to the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball national championship game between LSU and Iowa, where Reese’s LSU team defeated Clark’s Iowa squad. Instead of the focus staying on their extraordinary athleticism, the post-game discourse became fraught with racial overtones. On one side, some critics unfairly painted Reese as a “ruffian,” while others argued that Clark’s star power and immense popularity were driven more by her being a white athlete rather than her undeniable skill and electrifying presence on the court.
This racial divide has only deepened over time. Basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes recently criticized some of Clark’s supporters, accusing them of being “ugly and evil” in their behavior. Reese has also been vocal about the harassment she and her family have faced, claiming that some of Clark’s most extreme fans have sent her “explicit photos” and even death threats, fueling the tension further.
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The heated dialogue hasn’t been helped by politically motivated pundits, many of whom are largely unfamiliar with the WNBA and women’s basketball, jumping into the fray to exploit the racial divide for their own agendas. These figures, often without any real stake in the sport, exacerbate the division by pitting fans of the two players against each other, making an already toxic situation worse.
The situation took a new turn recently when Caitlin Clark “liked” an Instagram post endorsing Taylor Swift’s support for Vice President Kamala Harris. That seemingly innocent social media activity led to backlash from some of Clark’s own fanbase, who took issue with her political views. Suddenly, people who had once cheered her on began leaving hostile comments, calling her out for supporting the “wrong” political candidate. It was a stark reminder of how easily online fandom can turn toxic.
Angel Reese weighed in on the situation, sharing her thoughts on TikTok. She reposted a video that suggested many of Clark’s fans were never really supporting her for the right reasons. Reese, agreeing with the sentiment of the original video, captioned it with “left no crumbs,” implying that the video’s message perfectly captured her own views. In her eyes, the recent backlash against Clark over a political post only confirms that many people were never true fans of Clark, but rather just looking for reasons to pit the two players against each other.
The constant back-and-forth online has become exhausting for both players and their supporters. What should be a celebration of two incredibly talented rookies dominating the WNBA has instead devolved into racially charged arguments and pointless bickering.
The reality is that both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are remarkable athletes, deserving of praise for their historic on-court performances. To reduce their achievements to a battleground for online hate does a disservice to the game of basketball and to the strides women’s sports have made.
Sadly, this toxic discourse shows no signs of letting up anytime soon, as both players continue to be embroiled in a conversation that takes attention away from their talent.
Regardless of where one stands on these debates, one thing is clear: both Clark and Reese are reshaping the landscape of women’s basketball and deserve to be celebrated for their contributions, not torn down by spite and divisiveness.
