Was Angel Reese’s now-deleted tweet a dig at Caitlin Clark? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky handed the New York Liberty their first loss of the season Thursday in a 90-81 victory over head coach Teresa Weatherspoon’s former team.
Vibes were high after the big win, and Reese took to social media to gloat about the team’s early-season success.
It stands to reason the message was aimed at Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa phenom who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever this year. The Fever are 0-5 this season, and although Clark leads all rookies in points-per-game with 17.8, she also leads the entire league in turnovers with 5.8. Her team’s inability to win has prompted criticism from all corners, including “The View” cohost Sunny Hostin, who said Clark’s extreme popularity is related to “white privilege” and “pretty privilege.”
Some major stars have come to Clark’s defense amid the ongoing criticism, namely LeBron James and Charles Barkley.
“The one thing I love that she’s bringing to her sport: More people want to watch,” James said on his “Mind the Game” podcast with JJ Reddick. “More people want to tune in. … Don’t get it twisted, don’t get it f—-ed up. Caitlin Clark is the reason why a lot of great things is gonna happen for the WNBA.”
Barkley called Clark’s haters “petty” and said the rest of the league should be thanking her “for getting y’all (expletive) private charters,” along with more money and visibility.
The capitalization of the word “win” mixed with the recent discourse certainly points to this being a shot at Clark. We may never know for sure. Reese deleted the post shortly after.
Of course, erasing the message did nothing to stop the contentious discussion around Clark’s unprecedented stardom, with nasty comments being thrown at both women in response to Reese’s deleted post.
On the court, Reese is having a stellar start to the season, averaging 12 points per game (second-most among rookies) and 8.7 rebounds per game (most among rookies).
She’s been stirring up headlines off the court, too. Reese has used her massive platform to call out the WNBA’s handling of team charters, as well as Connecticut Sun rookie Nika Muhl’s complicated visa situation. And did we mention she attended the Met Gala?
There’s no doubt Reese is cooking up drama that’s fueling a dialogue fans and some media are taking much too seriously.
The objective takeaway? Grab your popcorn and your league pass, because the WNBA is official must-see TV.
Source Agencies
