As one might have imagined, there was no shortage of reaction to Angel Reese being called for a flagrant foul after hitting Caitlin Clark in the head during Sunday’s WNBA showdown between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever.
That included from Robert Griffin III, with the former NFL quarterback-turned-ESPN analyst weighing in with a reaction to the reaction.
“Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are being used in a race war that is not fair to either athlete or the game of basketball,” Griffin wrote on X.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are being used in a race war that is not fair to either athlete or the game of basketball.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 17, 2024
While there’s an obvious racial component to the Clark-Reese rivalry, which dates back to their college careers, the term “race war” in this context might be strong. Although many have weighed in on Reese’s foul on Clark — which appeared to be inadvertent — the reaction has been fairly muted in comparison to Chennedy Carter’s on-court altercation with the Indiana Fever star rookie earlier this month.
Conversely, many of those who have weighed in Reese’s foul on Clark on Sunday have done so in an apparent attempt to paint Reese — who is Black — as a villain.
Angel Reese should be suspended. Period. Not good for the game.
— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB) June 16, 2024
Chicago Sky doing Chicago Sky stuff pic.twitter.com/0OVDYtulxV
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 16, 2024
Again, the leap to “race war” in this specific instance might be a stretch, but at this point, Clark is no stranger to being an unwilling symbol in the culture wars. It’s also more than fair to wonder if Griffin phrased his post in a way to maximize engagement, as it came just days after The Athletic’s James Boyd accused the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner of “grifting” by sharing a video of him asking Clark a question about her role in the culture wars without attribution.
