Over the past two years, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark have developed one of the defining individual sports rivalries of the 2020s.
As is the case with any sports rivalry that penetrates the wider cultural conversation, however, Reese and Clark’s amicable feud has grown to encompass more than just sports—for better or for worse. On Thursday’s premiere of Unapologetically Angel—her new podcast—Reese discussed how some of Clark’s fans had resorted to racism toward her.
“I think it’s really just the fans,” Reese said. “Sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it, and I don’t think (Clark) stands with any of that.”
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 5, 2024Clark, for her part, denounced racism perpetuated in her name in June.
Reese went on to say she had received death threats from fans of Clark.
“People have come down to my address, followed me home,” Reese said. “It’s really hard that I have to go through that.”
Reese and Clark are considered the two frontrunners for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award; their rivalry appears set to make headlines for years to come. Time will tell whether those headlines are made for the right reasons.
Source : Sports Illustrated