Former NFL star quarterback Robert Griffin III wrote on social media that he believes Angel Reese ‘hates’ Caitlin Clark after their incident on Saturday. The spat between the two players, who are both top stars in the WNBA, occurred during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky. The incident sparked widespread discussion on social media, with Griffin’s comments drawing both support and criticism from fans and analysts.
Tempers flared during the game when Clark committed a flagrant foul on Reese, which led to a physical altercation post-foul. Griffin, who is known for his outspoken personality, took to Twitter to comment on the incident, stating that the behavior displayed by Reese went beyond mere rivalry. ‘After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark,’ Griffin wrote in his post. He emphasized that the incident showed a clear case of hatred, describing it as something that goes beyond the usual tensions in professional sports.
Clark and Reese, however, have a history that stretches back to their time in the NCAA, where they were both standout players. The two are considered two of the most skilled women’s basketball players in the world, each with multiple All-American honors. Despite their high-profile rivalry, both players have maintained a professional relationship, with Clark and Reese rarely engaging in personal disputes. However, the incident during the game has brought their on-court interactions into the spotlight, raising questions about the nature of their relationship.
Both Clark and Reese downplayed the incident, with Clark telling ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game that there had been ‘nothing malicious’ behind the foul. ‘I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was,’ Clark said, while adding that she wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. Reese, on the other hand, called the incident a ‘basketball play,’ suggesting that the contact was a result of the game’s intensity rather than a personal attack.
Despite the controversy, both players continued to perform exceptionally well in the game, with Clark finishing with her third career triple-double, scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists. Reese, meanwhile, added another double-double, with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Their performances underscored the high level of skill and competitiveness in the WNBA, even as the on-court tension between them continues to draw attention from fans and media alike.
Coaches and officials also weighed in on the incident, with Fever head coach Stephanie White stating that she felt the foul was a ‘clear play on the ball.’ However, the official decision was not as straightforward, with crew chief Roy Gulbeyan explaining that Clark had pushed Reese with her left hand, which met the criteria for a flagrant foul. The technical foul was followed by a physical taunt technical on Aliyah Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset the initial penalty.
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the nature of rivalry in sports, with some arguing that the level of emotion displayed by the players reflects the intensity of their competition. Others, however, have questioned the validity of Griffin’s claim that Reese harbors genuine hatred toward Clark, suggesting that such a label may be an overstatement based on a single on-court incident.
As the WNBA season progresses, the relationship between Clark and Reese will likely remain a focal point for fans and analysts alike. Their dynamic, whether seen as a friendly rivalry or something more intense, continues to shape the narrative around their teams’ performances and the league’s overall entertainment value.