“It’s a Soap Opera”: After the Growing Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Drama, Sports Analysts Slam WNBA for Promoting Cat Fights

The drama sells! So why won’t Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark? While usually correlated with movies, feelings like anger and resentment are very much true for sports as well. The NBA grew after it saw enmity between Michael Jordan and the Detroit Pistons. Also, the two legends Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who many compare the Fever and Sky rookies to, had a huge impact on the NBA’s ratings. Now that the WNBA is on a growing curve, it too is seeing increased interest. This specifically, when it comes to the furious battle-esque games between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. But is the league ready for it all?

Rob Parker and Chris Broussard of ‘The Odd Couple’ on Fox Sports Radio seemed to have some strong opinions on the league’s choice of promoting more drama than the sport itself. Parker mentioned, “I get it. Caitlin Clark moves the needle. But the WNBA is not going to grow if all we’re talking about are the catty, kind of all the stuff that’s going on. There’s no basketball talk here. It’s the jealousy talk, it’s if they’re trying to hurt her, they’re jealous of her. It’s a soap opera. There’s no basketball talk at all.” Although Parker nods at the fact that these conversations will move the needle, it is not a sustainable path.

Chris Broussard, despite agreeing with his co-host on the talks, did not agree about how it affects the league’s growth. The 55-year-old commentator said, “The reason we’re talking about the WNBA at all Rob are the storylines.” He also added, “Rob, we’re sports writers. Storylines are what people are interested in. We are always looking for the human element. I get what you’re saying, but that’s what draws people in.”

The former of the opinion has been met by quite a few. Fox Sports Radio co-hosts Aaron Torres & Jason Martin for example, who believe it is becoming more about what Clark says and what anyone says of her than it has been of basketball. Matt Barnes has also expressed against the over-speaking of an instance that has been adapted of late. “Yall purposely show plays to stir the pot,” he said after the Clark-Carrington issue.

More recently, it was WNBA legend Swin Cash who bashed the outlets for stirring up one sided narrative, after the second meeting of the NCAA rivals Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The Gainbridge Fieldhouse saw 17,274 fans in both their meetings and this one ended with a little talk for the town.

Caitlin Clark shuns down the chance to attack Angel Reese

Through the rookies’ 2023 National Championship, the basketball world has seen its growth. Nevertheless, as much as their game has taken a front seat, their rivalry has too. However, Caitlin Clark has always taken the high road through her professionalism which recently won fans’ hearts.

In their first game, the 6-foot hooper had shown her admiration for Angel Reese. Yesterday as well, she did something similar as she called the flagrant foul on her for clotheslining a basketball play. “It’s just part of basketball. It is what it is,” Clark opined after Reese had disagreed with the foul for basketball play.

Even outside of this bubble, Caitlin Clark has shown her disappointment about how much the talk is about other things and not the game itself. After the Chennedy Carter’s hip-check controversy, the No. 22 of Indiana told the reporters, “It stinks how much the conversation is outside of basketball and not the product on the floor and the amazing players that are on the floor and how good they are.”

At the same time, Angel Reese has also mentioned after her Elite Eight loss to Caitlin Clark that all the drama in her life started after she won the NCAA Championship in 2023. Seems like the players themselves want to talk only about the sport. But seems like the WNBA is looking for numbers apart from great players.

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