Ryan Clark believes it 'should be impossible' to hate Caitlin Clark

Fallout from the Caitlin Clark–Angel Reese incident during last weekend’s WNBA season opener between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky led to former ESPN colleagues butting heads on social media. Ryan Clark and Robert Griffin III made headlines for their public spat, leading Ryan Clark to respond to the incident on his podcast, Pivot.

Ryan Clark wrote on X that RG3 “plays into the narrative that Reese is the villain of Clark’s hero origin story.” He followed up by taking a personal shot at the former Heisman Trophy winner, telling him “to the list of black men who’ve adopted the corny trend of denigrating black women to affirm their choices.” Griffin III called his response “cowardly.”

He has since addressed the way he responded to the entire situation. During the extended reaction, Ryan Clark touched on he personal feelings toward Caitlin Clark.

“Caitlin Clark, for all it’s worth, is absolutely freaking phenomenal,” Ryan Clark stated. “The excitement she brings to the game, the skill level she brings to the game, the way that she plays it honestly, the way that she also pays tribute to those who came before her. It’s actually, in my opinion, should be impossible to hate her.

“Do her fans, in the way that they attack others, play into it? Absolutely. Does it feel like there’s a racial component to that? Absolutely. But the game needs her. The game needs to market her, the game needs to push her forward, and she is pushing the game forward. But it also doesn’t mean that because you love Caitlin Clark, you can’t also respect Angel Reese.”

To Ryan Clark, it’s up for personal interpretation who is better on the court. But he did admit that Caitlin Clark is “on her way to being the face of the league.” Though, A’ja Wilson will have to retire first. He also believes that Angel Reese is must-see TV.

While Caitlin Clark commands attention wherever she goes, as Reese stated in 2024, fans don’t tune into the WNBA to watch just one player. Ryan Clark echoed this sentiment during the response citing her popularity off the court.

“Whether you like her or love her, or don’t like her or love her, you want to see what Angel Reese is going to do,” Ryan Clark continued. “That’s good for a league that wants you to turn on the TV to see it. So why can’t we respect both ladies?

“Why can’t, if you’re African American, look at simply the skill set of Caitlin Clark and respect what she’s going to do, what she has done without being a sellout? And why, if you love Caitlin Clark, and you aren’t a black person, does Angel Reese have to be her villain? The two can coexist, individually, and be good for the game, collectively, if we let them.”

It’s safe to say that the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry won’t end after last week’s incident in the Fever vs. Sky matchup. Both women are only in their second season in the league, meaning their paths will likely cross countless times before they both leave the league. Perhaps some of their best matchups are still to come.