Update: After backlash, Athlon Sports has revised its original headline to remove Angel Reese’s name. The updated headline now focuses solely on Clark and Mabrey’s on-court altercation.
The original story continues below.
Caitlin Clark was knocked to the ground, and despite playing in a different game in another state, Angel Reese was still linked to the altercation.
During the third quarter of the Indiana Fever’s 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night, Clark was poked in the eye by Jacy Sheldon. Clark responded with a bump and shove, which inspired Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey to walk over and push the Fever star to the floor.
The physical altercation opened the door for more headlines claiming Clark is being bullied for her stature. But one of the most egregious headlines about the incident featured an attempt to bring Angel Reese’s name into the conversation.
Caitlin Clark and the Fever played the Connecticut Sun. Had zero to do with Angel Reese, but her name is in the headline and her team is tagged.
Keep telling me Angel is driving the narrative though 🙃🙃🙃 pic.twitter.com/yIfEVzOcE3
— Tanya Ray Fox (@TanyaRayFox) June 18, 2025
“Caitlin Clark Goes Viral After Getting Decked by Angel Reese’s Former Teammate,” the headline from Athlon Sports reads.
Yes, Mabrey and Reese were teammates for part of last season. Mabrey has had numerous teammates throughout her seven-year WNBA career. But the desperation to attach Reese’s name to this headline about Clark is why aggregate media gets a bad rap. And it’s another example of the toxic media coverage that surrounds the WNBA.
Why stop at naming Reese when her former teammate is involved in an altercation with Clark? How about “Caitlin Clark goes viral after getting decked by player the same age as Angel Reese.” Or “Caitlin Clark goes viral after getting decked by player who ate at same restaurant as Angel Reese.”
That last one is a little wordy, but you get the point.
It’s bad enough that so many media outlets are sensationalizing the fact that Caitlin Clark was knocked to the floor while playing a physical sport. We certainly don’t act this way every time LeBron James gets knocked to the floor. But trying to bring Reese into this discussion was even more ridiculous. There will be enough talking points in the history of the Clark-Reese rivalry that the media shouldn’t need to invent more.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com