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Look, I really don’t have much skin in the game so to talk about Angel Reese wasn’t on today’s plans. I promise. I don’t mind Angel, in fact, her presence and rivalry with Caitlin Clark has so far been a spectacle not to be missed in the WNBA world.
That being said, she does have her moments. On the court? Absolute rebounding machine. Off the court? Sometimes a little… let’s just say, ambitious. And this is definitely one of those times.
Earlier this week, on her podcast, Reese made a bold declaration: If the WNBA doesn’t start paying its players more, she’s sitting out.
https://twitter.com/CourtsideBuzzX/status/1898230819782549541
And, look, I respect the hustle. I really do. But I’m just not sure the WNBA is shaking in its sneakers over this one… yet.
Let’s be real—WNBA ratings are up, but it’s not because of Angel Reese. You know it. I know it. The WNBA knows it. Even Angel probably knows it. She’s a solid player and a great personality, but she’s not Caitlin Clark. And before you start shouting “RACISM!”—just stop. Take a deep breath. It’s not that. It’s simple math.
Clark changed the game last year. She brought in the casuals. She got middle-aged dads from Iowa—who still watch every MLB game like it’s the 1970s—tuning in to the WNBA. The data doesn’t lie. Clark’s games were the highest-rated WNBA broadcasts by a mile. Literally, a mile.
https://twitter.com/PitmasterMark69/status/1898477237252354415
So, respectfully, if Angel Reese threatens to sit out, does that really change anything? Are YOU going to boycott the WNBA because Angel Reese is on strike? Be honest.
https://twitter.com/BricksCenter/status/1898252194467791266
Now, if Caitlin Clark issued the same threat? Whole different story. That’s when the WNBA’s front office might start sweating. She pulled 1.2 million viewers to a Fever-Mercury game last year… on ION. Yes, ION. Do you even know what channel that is? Didn’t think so. But over a million people figured it out because Clark was playing. That’s leverage. That’s a bargaining chip.
I’m all for athletes getting paid what they deserve. But if you’re gonna make a power move, you need the numbers to back it up. And right now, I’m just not sure Angel Reese has them.