The WNBA is enjoying massive popularity. The viewership numbers for the WNBA All-Star Game on ABC rose to 3.4 million as the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese rivalry heightened. However, these two WNBA superstars still face intense hatred. The NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, whose sister Cheryl Miller played international basketball for the USA, pointed out the reason behind the hate that WNBA players are receiving.

Miller noted that thanks to social media, people from all over the world are closely watching the games. And along with that, they are also sharing their opinions and criticism. This is something that players from previous eras, such as Lynette Woodard, never had to face. They only had to deal with the local press.

“The problem is with Caitlin and Angel and I’d say the last 15 years is social media. Cheryl and Lynette Woodard….they never had to face social media the way Clark and Angel Reese and Cam Brink. They didn’t have to face cuz now everyone has their own opinion and their own critique, everyone’s home in their basement and watching games and commenting in real time you know in Indiana when I played we had one paper and one beat writer,” Reggie Miller said in an interview with USA Sports.

While modern-day players like Reese, Clark, and Cameron Brink constantly face more pressure and criticism on social media, the previous generation of players simply had fewer opinions to deal with, as per Reggie Miller. However, the media veteran pointed out that social media has also allowed the players to have their own space such as podcasts.

Miller also highlighted how Caitlin Clark isn’t active on social media and isn’t letting the social media criticism affect her.

Reggie Miller admires how Caitlin Clark handles social media criticism

The Fever rookie has faced immense heat in recent times. From her $28 million shoe deal to her playing style in WNBA games, Clark has been a constant target of critics. However, she doesn’t let the comments sway her during the games.

“Everyone has an opinion and sometimes you gotta just stop the noise, cut off the devices, and everything. I hear about Caitlin she does that which is great, she’s not on…….so she’s on it but she’s not actively on it and she doesn’t let a lot of that affect her,” Miller added.

The comments on social media aren’t merciful to the other WNBA players either. Even Angel Reese was criticized for attending the annual Met Gala before her game against the New York Liberty.

Reggie’s sister Cheryl recently had the opportunity to watch both Reese and Clark’s games closely. As the coach of Team WNBA, which was pitted against Team USA in the All-Star Game, she praised how the rivalry sparked a frenzy among basketball fans and boosted the sport’s popularity. Cheryl believes that with the popularity of the WNBA on surge now, the focus has shifted to only winning. 

“I love what they’ve done for the women’s game, from the collegiate level to now…And now, the bottom line comes down to one thing, it’s about basketball. It’s about winning,” Cheryl said during her interview. Both Reese and Clark delivered their best to lead Team WNBA to victory in the All-Star game.

Meanwhile, as Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky strive to secure a playoff spot in the WNBA, there’s a battle between Reese and Clark for the Rookie of the Year honor. Who do you think will be the ROTY? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.