"She Instigates Resentment": Caitlin Clark Attracted The Animosity With Her Taunts Prior To WNBA Altercation During Feve [View all]

A scuffle in the second half—sparked by a Marina Mabrey shove that sent Clark to the floor—triggered a wider conversation in the basketball world, including on ESPN’s First Take. The next morning, Stephen A. Smith, alongside Monica McNutt and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, dove into the incident and brought up a familiar name: Angel Reese.

Clark was poked in the eye earlier in the quarter and later pushed during the confrontation that led to multiple technical fouls and three ejections. Smith pointed out that some players may still harbor resentment toward Caitlin Clark—something that could stem from past rivalries and on-court antics.

“Caitlin Clark being that golden goose per se, that rising tide, that’s lifting all boats—I stand by my past proclamations that there’s resentment towards her,” Smith said.

He added, “But I want to take it a step further. There’s also resentment towards her because she instigates resentment towards her sometimes. … The whole Angel Reese thing with her started because when Caitlin was giving it to everybody else, she was the one waving in their face.”

Smith was referring to Clark’s infamous “you can’t see me” taunt during the 2023 NCAA Tournament—an action that Reese mirrored after LSU’s championship win over Iowa. While many assumed Clark was targeting Hailey Van Lith at the time, the Louisville star later clarified that Clark wasn’t even addressing her, but rather one of Iowa’s assistant coaches.





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