“The WNBA Is Not As Popular As College Basketball”: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Racial Controversy Fueled By WNBA To Gain Viewers Says Analyst To Jason Whitlock

May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) shake hands before the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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The WNBA may be using the issue between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as a means to fuel interest in the league, at least this has been how one analyst sees it in light of the recent controversies surrounding the two stars.

In one of the recent episodes of Jason Whitlock’s “Fearless,” analyst Anthony Walker got honest about his thoughts on how the WNBA seemingly used the race narrative as a means of sparking interest in the league.

“And you know, as with the WNBA, it’s never been a profitable business, right? It’s always needed that infusion of finance. But when we look at what happened the last couple of years with women’s college basketball, from my vantage point, you were in the sports world really deep. From my vantage point, women’s college basketball has always been pretty popular.”

“And when we look at what happened with Caitlin Clark, a lot of the people who were supporters of hers were men because they saw, hey, this girl can play basketball. It wasn’t that she was a white woman. It was she really can play. And so now that she’s in the WNBA, the WNBA is not as popular as college basketball, women’s college basketball. And so they need some kind of angle to push to make things kind of happen.”

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“So they’re using all this drama, using all this controversy, using all these angles. It’s why a foul call goes to somebody calling out another person’s wife, and this big racial debacle of, you know, microaggression. Like it’s a bad call.”

“But that’s what they are, and so maybe if we can get more eyes to look at it, and you know how media and vision is, that you know no press is bad press. So as long as we can get some eyes to looking into this, maybe we can turn those views into revenue.”

Aug 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) during the second half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Caitlin Clark no Alleged Racial Slurs: “I Didn’t Hear Anything”

In a recent interview, Caitlin Clark got honest about the issue of alleged racial slurs thrown during the heated season opener between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky. According to her, the arena was too loud for her to hear anything from the audience area.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Maryland’s Angel Reese, right, react to a call during a NCAA Big Ten Conference women’s basketball game, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
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“It’s super loud in here, and though I didn’t hear anything, I think that’s why they’re doing the investigation,” Clark said. “That’s why they’re looking into it. That doesn’t mean nothing happened, so I’ll just trust the league’s investigation, and I’m sure they’ll do the right thing.”

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Saturday, May 17, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky, 93-58.
In previous interviews, Caitlin Clark shut down allegations of malice behind the foul incident she had with Angel Reese. She dismissed the allegations, saying it was only basketball play and that she is not “that kind of player.”

For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through [email protected]. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.

Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.