In the opening weekend, the WNBA threw Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark back into the fire rather than waiting for the drama to simmer. Their body language, technicals, and flagrant foul were more telling than any words during their first professional face-off since the 2024 NCAA rematch. Fans and commentators noticed something else developing, even when Clark downplayed the moment and dropped a triple-double.

The officials and media instantly elevated what happened on the court—a standard ‘make-them-earn-it’ foul by Clark, followed by a confrontation from Reese—into something more. Clark was given a Flagrant 1 after her third foul. Aliyah Boston of Indiana and Reese both received technicals. “A basketball play” was the word that both coaches repeated. But online? Things started to blow up.

Without hesitation, NFL Legend Dez Bryant took a jab at a story that he feels is dangerously misframed. The former wide receiver for the Cowboys made it plain that this is more than simply a basketball discourse. Behind stat sheets and highlight reels, there is a racial double standard, coded expectations, and media manipulation. “Why does she have to answer questions about Caitlin Clark?” Bryant asked on X, “I only see basketball whenever I watch those girls play, but I’m not ignorant — I know what the media has created.” Bryant wasn’t done. He praised Clark’s skill and even declared, “Both girls are good in their own right. Caitlin Clark is better than Angel Reese.”

But the hateful charges? Attempting to paint Angel Reese as a villain because of her response to touch on the court? That crossed a line. Bryant wrote, “But saying she hates her is wild. They are playing basketball. It was nothing more or less. You are helping create a negative narrative around Angel Reese, and I don’t respect it, respectfully. You know this is tied into race. We gotta do better.”

For Context: From LSU’s 2023 championship victory to Iowa’s 2024 revenge tour, the rivalry began in college. And now has grown into a nationwide hot topic. Clark, the indisputable face of women’s hoops. Reese, on the other hand, is a proud script-disturber. And in the middle? The story is being shaped by loud voices.

Reese’s hesitation to answer questions about Clark after the game, in Bryant’s opinion, was not an indication of jealousy. Many Black athletes have learnt to use it as a survival strategy in media outlets that are eager to use their posture, tone, or quiet to further their narratives. He clarified, “The majority of us Black athletes are not media trained. She don’t want to get trapped into questions that will get taken out of context… You are a very smart person, 3.” Bryant’s usage of “3” was a clear jab at Robert Griffin III, the former NFL quarterback whose remarks about Reese ignited the entire controversy.

From hoops to hate: RG3’s breakdown of the Reese-Clark rivalry sparks firestorm

It began as a tweet and developed into a thread that resembled a manifesto. Caitlin Clark was compared to Michael Jordan by Robert Griffin III in more than one way. He went beyond simply referring to Angel Reese as the WNBA’s Draymond Green. He went all out and declared, “Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark. It’s staring us all right in the face, but people are afraid to say it. Gets mad when people praise Caitlin Clark. Celebrates when her teammates flagrantly foul Caitlin Clark. That’s not just hate. That’s jealousy and resentment.”

Griffin had multiple layers to his breakdown. Before going back to reiterate what he had said, he acknowledged the significance of race and even cautioned readers about the stereotype of the “angry or jealous Black Woman.“ He maintained that Reese was the Isiah Thomas to Clark’s MJ. Someone who is motivated by resentment, a competitor, and a disruptor. He added, “Angel Reese has beat Caitlin Clark, but never outshined her. Even when Angel won the national title, the First Lady wanted to see her and Caitlin Clark at the White House. Over time, the hate and resentment has built up from all this.”

Griffin maintained that he wasn’t villainizing Reese. Instead, he referred to her as a contender, a champion, and someone who ‘shows it differently.’ His posts, however, touched a nerve. One that fellow NFL player Torrey Smith also called out when he reposted RG3’s message: “You are telling me that Angel got pushed and is the bad guy for reacting? I’m done.”

Even if the writings were loaded with context and analogies, they came at a time when reality and perception were already headed for conflict. The terms ‘too loud,’ ‘too cocky,’ and now ‘too hateful’ has joined the list of terms used to describe Reese. There was a rivalry in the sports world. But RG3 noticed a personal grudge. Dez Bryant, though? When he observed a young Black athlete walking a minefield, he made the decision to help her.