Angel Reese drops major Caitlin Clark bombshell as one detail changes the conversation [VIDEO]
Angel Reese has made her feelings clear about Caitlin Clark while insisting that the Indiana Fever star is not the only player responsible for helping women’s basketball grow.
The Atlanta Dream star spoke out after helping Team USA win gold at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, where the United States defeated France in the final.
Reese and Clark shared that gold-medal run despite the long-running rivalry that has followed them since their college days.
But while Clark is frequently credited with driving huge interest in the women’s game, Reese believes her own impact should not be overlooked.
Reese Says She Deserves Credit Too
Speaking to Complex, Reese addressed the criticism she regularly receives and argued that she has still played an important role in pushing the sport forward.
“I’ll be the person that gets the hate, but at the end of the day I’m growing women’s basketball and helping women’s basketball,” Reese said.
Her point was not that Clark has failed to make an impact, but that the growth of women’s basketball should not be attributed to one player alone.
Reese has built a large following of her own since her college years with LSU and Maryland and has carried that profile into the WNBA.
‘It’s Just Basketball’
Reese also pushed back against the idea that her rivalry with Clark reflects genuine personal hostility.
She said fans often take competitive moments far more seriously than the players themselves.
“I don’t think it’s just her fans, I think it’s fans in general,” Reese explained.
“People don’t realize that at the end of the day, we’re human.”
She continued: “You guys watch us and knowing that, like, it’s just basketball, I promise you, it’s just basketball, I don’t have any hard feelings towards her.”
Angel Reese on her rivalry with Caitlin Clark:
“I’ll be the person that gets the hate, but at the end of the day I’m growing women’s basketball and helping women’s basketball.” pic.twitter.com/F6T9CQvMKo
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) September 16, 2026
That comment offered a very different perspective from the heated rivalry often presented online.
While Reese and Clark have competed fiercely against each other for years, Reese made clear that she does not carry personal resentment toward her fellow WNBA star.
Rivalry Has Helped Keep Attention on the Sport
The Reese-Clark rivalry became one of the biggest stories in women’s basketball during their college careers.
Their matchups attracted major attention and followed both players into the professional game.
Clark has received enormous praise for bringing new viewers and interest to women’s basketball, but Reese has repeatedly made it clear that she believes her own presence has contributed to that rise as well.
The Atlanta star has remained one of the league’s most recognisable personalities, with her performances, interviews and off-court moments consistently generating conversation.
According to the report, Reese wants fans to recognise that the sport’s growth has come from more than one source.
Team USA Run Showed They Can Play Together
The pair recently proved that their rivalry does not prevent them from working together.
Reese and Clark both represented Team USA at the FIBA Women’s World Cup and helped the Americans secure gold.
That experience placed them on the same side after years of being framed as opposing figures.
It also reinforced Reese’s message that the competition between them should remain within basketball rather than becoming something personal.
For Reese, the message now is straightforward: she respects what Clark has brought to the sport, but she wants acknowledgement for her own role as well.
And despite the constant online debate surrounding the pair, Reese says there are no hard feelings.
As she put it herself: “It’s just basketball.”
