Praise for Offering Caitlin Clark Protection Backfires as Angel McCoughtry Rips Gilbert Arenas Apart

“I would love to play on a team that can contest for a championship or be a vet to help the young ones … like Caitlin Clark,” Angel McCoughtry had said a few days ago. On a normal day, we’d pop the champagne if the 5x WNBA All-Star announced her comeback. But Caitlin Clark became the dominant focus in her statement and fans were just hyped that she got a strong backer in her corner. Gilbert Arenas may have taken it a step too far and marred it for her, though. After the latest edition of No Chill Gil, McCoughtry herself responded to Arenas’ statements. She took the high road, cleared her name (quite literally in one sense), and ended it with a burn on real veterans.

A few days ago, Arenas hyped McCoughtry’s build and talent as a defender. Note: The 2009 WNBA ROTY is a 2x scoring champion, steals leader, and peak performer. Unfortunately, the responses to his commentary got twisted. McCoughtry was talked about as someone who is trying to stay relevant as per her comments. It reached McCoughtry herself, who called out Arenas.

She posted a video on X with the caption, “Gilbert don’t play !!! @GilsArenaShow” and opened with, “This message is for Gilbert Arenas.” Arenas jumbled Angel McCoughtry’s name on his podcast, referring to her as McCartney. She started by correcting the pronunciation before addressing everything he said on the show.

She proceeded to eloquently lambast his “selective hearing.” While Arenas only referred to Clark, in the larger interview McCoughtry spoke in defense of Jackie Young and Angel Reese too, which went ignored. “And what I said was, as a vet, I’m gonna take up for me teammates. It doesn’t matter who it is. It’s not my fault that the media honed in on one player.”

Arenas and most NBA veterans slammed the senior players of Indiana Fever for not protecting Clark when she was hard-fouled on the court. While McCoughtry also advocates it, it took Arenas’ show for her to clarify that she expects all veterans to step up for the rookies no matter who they are.

“Don’t try to make it seem like I’m trying to make a comeback to the league just to protect one player. No, any teammate of mine, I will protect because that’s what vets do. Real vets!” She said that she’d been trying to unretire for three years, before Clark. “So don’t do that to me, Gilbert. That’s not what I’m trying to do. Next time, call me.”

She proceeded to call out the media for twisting words and told Arenas not to fall for it. And said, “Real vets do take up for their teammates,” before taking a jab at Arenas’ NBA career. But what did Agent Zero say that irked the former WNBA star?

Angel McCoughtry is a true veteran

The 2x Olympic gold medalist played in the WNBA and overseas before retiring in 2022. She hinted on TMZ Sports that she can hit the WNBA anytime and still dunk. When asked which team she’d like to join, Indiana Fever was at the top of the list. “I would love to play on a team that can contest for a championship or be a vet to help the young ones … like Caitlin Clark. She needs that vet around her arm just pushing her through the season.”

Fans loved the idea. Gilbert Arenas even more. “Brilliant move,” he said on No Chill Gil. “Someone gets it. Angel you get it. Someone’s thinking. No matter what we say, no matter what’s going on, someone is going to get paid from protecting her [Clark] as a teammate. It’s just a fact.” Referencing how Udonis Haslem was Dwyane Wade‘s enforcer and Michael Jordan had Charles Oakley, he claimed that anyone who acts as the top WNBA rookie’s enforcer becomes her ride-along.

Arenas was, in fact, praising McCoughtry’s statements, demanding Clark’s teammates defend her or she’d step in. However, Angel wasn’t happy with how he conveyed it. It led to a scathing response that indirectly also targeted only part of his statements. It’s now Arenas’ turn to respond.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.