The Celtics superfan, Dave Portnoy is back with another hot take on WNBA rookie, Angel Reese. The back-and-forth between Portnoy and Reese isn’t a new phenomenon. While on the Pat Bev Podcast, the sports media mogul was asked to air his views on the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry and he didn’t hold back. Continuing his slandering of Reese, the founder of Barstool Sports, stated that she is “ugly to watch”.
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“Angel Reese is a very good player. But she is ugly to watch…she is a typical WNBA[player]. Great on the offense glass, rebounding. But watching her play. Terrible layups. The reason players are captivated by Clark is the way she plays, like Steph Curry.”
He even had an answer for those who claim Clark’s fame is a byproduct of racial favoritism, claiming, “There are lots of major white female WNBA mega-stars that nobody cared about. She[Caitlin Clark] just plays different.”
But Portnoy’s complaints with Reese didn’t end at just her playstyle, as he called into question Reese’s hypocritical behavior towards Clark as well. He pointed out that Reese, who has on multiple occasions called Clark a “friend”, didn’t think twice before mocking her when she was cheap-shot by Sky teammate, Chennedy Carter.
But contrary to popular belief, the Boston superfan wants Reese to embrace the rivalry, and not run from it. He even wrote about it in a previous post on social media.
Portnoy called out Angel Reese and her teammates
This season’s first matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever was a rather “physical” affair. While the Indiana side took home the W, Clark had to endure a lot of abuse on the offensive end. The first set of punishment came when Carter hard-fouled Clark, who was standing baseline, eliciting a celebratory reaction from Reese.
The Sky forward joined in on the assault, as Reese was charged with a flagrant-1 violation after clobbering Clark behind the head during a layup attempt. Portnoy, who seems to have been streaming the game, called out the Sky players for their antics. Posting on X, he wrote,
“Shocker. Angelo Reese and the Sky doing Angel Reese and Sky stuff. By the way, Caitlin is cooking them”.
Shocker. Angelo Reese and the Sky doing Angel Reese and Sky stuff. By the way Caitlin is cooking them. #caitlinclark pic.twitter.com/4qeWZLsiHZ
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 16, 2024
Regardless of the rough play, Clark seems to be adjusting well to the WNBA. In the 16 matches she has played so far, CC has averaged 16.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 steals. The numbers seem even more impressive because her opponents often double-team Clark when she operates inside the three-point line.
Moreover, Clark has shown her potential even while her team has been struggling, since the beginning of the season. Her rivalry with Reese has been touted as impactful as Larry Bird-Magic Johnson and is considered important for the league. And Portnoy has certainly picked his side.
