Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty / Angel Reese / Alyssa Thomas
Legendary White sports broadcaster Bob Costas has said the quiet but undeniable thing out loud about Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark coverage.
The WNBA was looking forward to a fantastic year thanks to an exciting rookie class led by players Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cordosa and Cameron Brink. Instead, since the 2024 season began, there have been waves of toxic talk and awful receptions.
People, especially men, seemed very curious after Chicago Sky player Chenendy Carter's hard foul/cheap shot on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark over the weekend.
Since Clark's arrival in the WNBA, many believe she has been the victim of hard fouls and while she hasn't benefited from any whistles.
Talking to me of CNN Abby Phillip, Bob Costas rightly pointed out that the action on Clark after the hard fouls she takes has yet to be seen on Angel Reese, and that is due to the obvious fact that she is a black woman and the incidents are “Black on Black”.
Kostas was referring to one incident in particular: Connecticut Suns player Alyssa Thomas grabbed Reese by the neck, knocking her down the court, resulting in two flagrant fouls and her ejection from the game.
Per TMZ Sports:
“The reason this doesn't spark as much discussion is not just that Kaitlyn Clark is a bigger star than Alyssa Thomas,” Costas told CNN on Monday. “It's because it's a Black on Black incident and you don't have that dynamic where people can comment, yes, but also exaggerate and make the whole story sometimes.”
Costas further pointed out that he has seen other rookies receive the same treatment that Clark faces in other sports, but the caveat is that Clark is a white superstar in a predominantly black sport.
Former ESPN First Take coordinator and Athletic Center Anchor Cari Champion echoed Costa's sentiments, adding that no one cared about D's women getting physical with each other because they were only “women of a certain color.”
Ever since Clark arrived in the WNBA, the sports media debate has been out of control. It was so bad that Monica McNutt grilled Stephen A. Smith about the show's WNBA coverage, or lack thereof.
More reactions to Bob Costa's statement about what we already knew can be seen in the gallery below.