The fallout from Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese has showed no signs of slowing down.
During the Fever’s rout of the Chicago Sky last weekend, Caitlin Clark slapped Angel Reese’s arm and in the process shoved her onto the floor.
3
Reese was furious and said some words to Clark before Fever star Aliyah Boston stepped in.
Those scenes were alone enough to spark days of intense debate, with popular media figures all offering their take on the controversial incident.
That includes including Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who was also duped by a fake news report about Reese.
Portnoy went so far as to claim that Clark should start her own league and put the WNBA ‘out of business’.
“You know what’s crazy,” Portnoy, who has made no secret of his love for Clark, said on X.
“If Caitlin Clark just woke up one morning and decided she was sick of the WNBA s*** and decided to start her own league which wouldn’t be that difficult with her star power she’d put the WNBA out of business in 2 years.”
Fans’ response to his suggestion were mixed.
“Facts,” one person responded.
“I could see that,” said another.
However, others were more cynical.
3
“Nobody would join, dude,” said one fan.
Portnoy’s suggestion of a breakaway league founded by Clark comes a day after he suggested the hate towards Reese was justified, even amid the news that the WNBA was investigating allegations of racism towards the Sky forward.
“Caitlin fans have every reason to hate Angel Reese. … Fever fans, Caitlin fans should hate Angel Reese. Angel Reese has been nothing but an instigator, agitator and jacka– basically for the last couple years,” Portnoy said in his video.
“Angel Reese has doubled down, tripled down, quadrupled down and has built her persona as Caitlin’s rival. … It’s one thing after another, after another. … The jealousy that Angel Reese has towards her and has consistently shown makes Caitlin fans hate her.
“When you have one player that’s constantly poking at you, constantly degrading you, yes, you’re going to f—ing hate her.”
Portnoy, who was at the game in a full Fever uniform, revealed he booed Reese before claiming that she had attacked Clark for no reason.
3
“Listen, I was at the game. If there was somebody being racist or saying s***, obviously boot them, never let them back,” he said.
“I would be stunned beyond belief if that was the case. … The crowd at the Fever game? Little girls, families, ladies, nice crowd. Were we mad when Angel Reese attacked Cailtin Clark for no reason? Yeah. Did we boo her? Yeah. Is it sports? Yeah.
Despite, Portnoy’s long-winded analysis, both players kept it simple when discussing the incident, describing it as a basketball play and nothing more.
“Let’s not make it something that it’s not,” Clark said after the game.
“It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion. It’s a take foul to put them at the free throw line.
“I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am.”
Reese said three words about the incident as she refused to add any fuel to already hot situation.
“A basketball play,” she said.
Aside from the theatrics, both Reese and Clark did have impressive performances in their season-opener game.
Clark put up a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while the Sky forward scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
Reese will be looking to take the Sky to their first win of the season on Thursday night against defending WNBA champions, the New York Liberty.
While Clark and Indiana were condemned to a loss in their second game against the Atlanta Dream, despite Clark making history on the night and her boyfriend sounding off at officials.
