Ryan Clark Calls Robert Griffin III “Irresponsible” for Claiming That Angel Reese Hates Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark’s hard foul on Angel Reese during the WNBA season opener was fiery, head-turning, and, of course, controversial. It wouldn’t have been controversial, however, if it had been taken like any typical game-day moment, with Reese reacting to the flagrant one foul as any player would. But not Robert Griffin III. He took to X to claim that Reese “HATES” Clark for stooping down to that brief outburst.

What exactly happened? Angel hit the ground hard after getting knocked down by Clark while attempting a shot. Naturally, Reese didn’t appreciate it. She shot up and went straight at Clark, saying some words that probably weren’t too kind in the process. Arguably, that’s still part of the game.

But when RG3 saw the clip, he thought it was clear that Reese hates Clark. “After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark,” he wrote, continuing,

“I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate,” RG3 wrote.

RG3 even went to his YouTube channel to unpack his feelings further. He talked about how the hate between Reese and Clark could help grow the popularity of the WNBA. But still, it was him doubling down on the idea that Reese hates Caitlin.

In response to this supposed hate campaign, Ryan Clark called out RG3, even labeling him irresponsible. In an almost 4-minute segment on his show, The Pivot Podcast, Clark scalded the former quarterback, accusing him of being a Black man trying to denigrate another successful Black woman.

“RGIII saying he could recognize ‘hate when ‘he’ see(s) it,’ when referring to Angel Reese’s feelings toward Caitlin Clark, was irresponsible, but not at all surprising. Clark’s the biggest star in women’s basketball, & deservedly so. No need to beat up Reese to add shine to it.” Clark tweeted.

“RGIII plays into the narrative that Reese is the villain of Clark’s hero origin story. Now, Oberman & Portnoy, who berated Reese in college, have an ally in Griffin. Add him to the list of black men who’ve adopted the corny trend of denigrating black women to affirm their choices,” added the former safety.

Later in the clip, Clark pointed out that RG3 is married to a white woman. Because of this, Clark suggested that he may not have a full grasp on how Black women are treated. Which is a bit of an assumption, but he ran with it.

All in all, Clark felt that RG3’s tweet played into the racism that’s been directed at Reese in recent years, and he didn’t appreciate it. He ended his monologue with a piercing statement:

“Attacking Reese multiple times in order to gain favor from his desired crowd won’t help RGII blend in more. ‘Echoing the micro aggressions of racist won’t make him any less black than me’.”

It’s hard to view the discourse surrounding Caitlin and Reese’s rivalry without acknowledging the color of their skin and the public perception each of them carries. Clark is white and seemingly the crowned jewel of the WNBA; she can do no wrong, no matter what she does or says. Reese, on the other hand, is Black and constantly criticized for her style of play, and was openly mocked when she decided to start a podcast.

To the public, everything Reese does is wrong and everything Clark does is right. How is that fair? They are both stellar players in their own right. But one is always favored over the other, seemingly. What’s your take on the situation?