Shannon Sharpe Speaks Against Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese Narrative: “Pressure From Fans Won’t Budge Me”

The WNBA’s Rookie of the Year debate between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has been among the hottest topics of discussion since the season commenced. It has split the basketball fraternity into two, but Shannon Sharpe finds the tribalism between the fanbases tiresome.

On a recent episode of the Nightcap podcast, the analyst expressed his frustration about being labeled a hater by one of the two players’ fanbases when he praises them for their performances. He said,

“Y’all are trying to make me…’Oh, if you like Caitlin Clark you’ve gotta hate Angel. If you love Angel, you can’t say anything good about Caitlin Clark’. Y’all can’t tell me what the F to say, I’mma say what I wanna say.”

Sharpe has been in the crosshairs of Reese’s fans for his vocal support for the Fever rookie. In the previous episode of the Nightcap podcast, he heaped praise on Clark for his exceptional performance since the league resumed after the Olympic break.

However, Reese’s fans perceived it as a biased take, which left him frustrated. Sharpe asked his podcast listeners to stop accusing him of favoritism as he has lauded both rookies for their performances on the court and their impact on the league’s popularity.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer is seemingly refraining from naming his Rookie of the Year to avoid the vitriol that would follow. However, his co-host on First Take, Stephen A. Smith isn’t worried about the negative comments and has already named who he believes should take home the prize.

Stephen A. Smith gives his verdict on ROTY

Earlier this week, the veteran analyst officially picked Reese to win the Rookie of the Year award. Her recent three-game streak of 20+ rebounds left him enamored and prompted him to pick her for the prize. He said,

“Reese is the only player in WNBA history with three consecutive 20-rebound games. I’ve talked about Caitlin Clark—I love the sizzle, I love the ball handling, I love the passing ability, I love the shot-making ability. But let’s give credit where credit is due: Angel Reese is showing she’s no joke either. I think she could win Rookie of the Year.”

Both players are making strong cases to take home the prize. With less than a quarter of the regular season left, there’s no conclusive answer about who will take home the prize. It remains to be seen who finishes the year stronger and wins the Rookie of the Year award.