In the midst of a social media maelstrom, rookie phenom Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever delivered a deft rejoinder to Angel Reese’s recent online jab, insinuating the Chicago Sky star’s penchant for keyboard warrioring. Clark’s nuanced retort followed her first WNBA victory of the 2024/25 campaign against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The basketball prodigy finds herself embroiled in a whirlwind of chatter – from scrutiny over her transition to the pros, to insinuations that her meteoric rise stems from racial undertones, to most recently, Reese’s thinly-veiled implication of discord within the Fever ranks.
“And that’s what a team WIN looks like in front of a packed house,” Reese fired off on X.com, formerly Twitter, “Not just hype over one player flying private. #SkyTownRising”
While Clark has largely tuned out the noise, the 22-year-old Iowa alumna finally offered a dexterous response, hinting at mounting frustrations while reaffirming her steadfast priorities on the hardwood.
“To be candid, I’m not particularly active in the social media sphere,” Clark remarked when queried on the swirling discourse. “I have to treat this as the professional pursuit it is.
“My charge is to compete and play basketball each and every day. The more buzz we can generate around this entire league, the better it will become.
“My focus is simply showing up, assisting this team’s continued growth. Obviously, securing that elusive first win [on May 24] was monumental, and that’s where my mind resides – homing in on the things that actually move the needle.”
NBA Titans Rally Behind Clark’s Ascent
Clark arrived in the WNBA as the consensus #1 overall pick, a transcendent talent who holds the all-time NCAA scoring records for both men and women after twice leading her squad to the National Championship game.
Yet, her unprecedented hype appears to have ruffled some feathers among the WNBA elite, with certain players seeming to use Clark as a vehicle to stake their own claims – much to the chagrin of NBA luminaries LeBron James and Charles Barkley, who have fervently defended the rookie.
“Listen up, you women out there are being flat-out petty,” Barkley blasted on Inside the NBA. “LeBron’s absolutely right, these girls are just hating on Caitlin Clark. Straight pettiness.
“You all should be thanking that young lady for bringing more money, attention and amenities like charter flights to the WNBA. Don’t act as petty as us dudes get.”
