By admin 
In the last five years, the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has captivated basketball fans and has been the catalyst that has taken the WNBA to the next level. It has also been very financially rewarding for both players, as they have struck endorsement deals left and right.
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However, the longer this saga goes on, veteran sports analyst Jason Whitlock thinks it is hurting Angel, on and off the court, because while she can match Caitlin in star power and popularity, her offensive game lags far behind.
“Her lack of offensive skill set next to Clark is a hatchet chopping at her reputation,” said Whitlock. “People delight in Reese’s failure. Not all of that delight is pure. Some of it is ugly. Some of it is tribal. A lot of it is earned on the tape.”
“When you climb on the rival ladder, you don’t get only the endorsements; you get the full comparison. Clark’s game produces offense than bends scouting reports and ticket lines. Reese’s game produces boards and vibes and then, when the paint shrinks, a finishing package that turns national TV into a stand-up routine,” he added.
For five years, Angel Reese asked for the same amount of attention as Caitlin Clark. She got it this weekend, and today, she’s the punchline. pic.twitter.com/WcOhyGtKWR
— Jason Whitlock (@jasonwhitlock) August 17, 2026
The miss and the grin
Whitlock points to Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream. While Reese had a spectacular stat line of 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists, it was her multiple missed layups during the game that were talked about more, specifically, the one she bungled when she got the offensive rebound off the Natasha Howard airball.
The basket would have won the game for the Dream in regulation. But she missed it.
But not only did the game go to overtime, but cameras also caught Caitlin laughing behind Angel’s back after the miss. Whitlock called it payback for Reese giving Clark John Cena’s “You can’t see me” hand wave during the NCAA tournament. Or Angel trolling Caitlin with the ring finger gesture one year earlier in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball finals.
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“Chickens coming home to roost,” he added. “The internet did not hold a hearing. The internet hit upload. One website called it a brutal mockery. The miss and the grin became the same religion by this morning.”
Related: “The embarrassment that breaks Caitlin Clark for this season?” – Jason Whitlock says Caitlin is responsible for Fever’s crushing loss to Aces
Whitlock thinks CC is winning the rivalry
Make no mistake, Reese is one of the best players in the WNBA. She is averaging 15.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per game this season and is leading the league in rebounding for the third straight year. But as Whitlock explained, it’s her limited offensive skillset that’s making her pale in comparison to Clark and it’s what’s turning her into a punchline more than a rival now.
“For five years, Reese begged for the oxygen Clark walks in naturally. Well, she got it. Coordination Saturday, primetime Sunday. When the moment asked for a score, she delivered bricks so pure, they became content,” Whitlock continued.
Clark leads their WNBA head-to-head 6-3. And she got the last laugh, literally last Sunday. However, Whitlock may be too harsh to call Angel the punchline. Sure, CC got the better of her in that game and maybe in the majority of the games they’ve played in the W.
But remember, she won a title over Caitlin in college, and Clark hasn’t won anything yet in the WNBA.
Related: “Sympathy ran towards Carrington” – Jason Whitlock blasted Stephanie White for defending DiJonai Carrington
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This story was originally published August 17, 2026 at 11:12 PM.