The month of May might just be remembered as the “homecoming” month in WNBA history. Your wish is their command!

Two of the league’s most talked-about rookies and fierce rivals, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, returned to their college stomping grounds for a preseason game against the Brazilian National Team. But both experienced contrasting welcomes. Clark was greeted by a roaring, sold-out crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But over at Pete Maravich Assembly Center, the reception for Reese wasn’t quite the same.

The Chicago Sky kicked off their 2025 WNBA preseason on May 2 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana — right at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, the same court where Angel Reese became a college basketball icon. It was a special homecoming for the Sky’s rising star, who led LSU to a national title in 2023 with a memorable win over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Thousands of fans showed up rocking Reese’s number 5 jersey, but despite the hype, the arena was barely half full — and the internet wasted no time turning it into a meme frenzy.

Her mom fired back at the trolls with a perfect response: “Aww that certain fan base looking in the stands celebrating ‘attendance’ while others are looking up in the rafters celebrating championship banners. We ain’t the same. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Different year, same haters 😂 Have a great day 😘”

The post naturally blew up, and it was clear that Momma Reese was throwing shade at Caitlin Clark’s fan base. After all, they were the ones fueling the chatter around the ticket sales gap between Reese’s and Clark’s homecomings. It didn’t take long for CC fans to flood social media in response, defending their star and pushing back hard. Let’s dive into some of those tweets that set the internet on fire.

Caitlin Clark’s fans fume as Angel Reese’s mom calls them out

Fans didn’t hold back after Reese’s mom took a jab at them. One fan fired off, “Momma Reese or Mama Giraffe or whatever they call you… Next time keep ‘A Certain Fanbase’ name out your mouth. ‘The Slows’ gonna be mad at this one 🤣🤣🤣🤣,” posting a snapshot of the packed Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Another chimed in with a sharp take: “Don’t ever wanna hear about Angel Reese ‘moving the needle’ again. Side-by-side comparison of her homecoming to LSU vs Caitlin Clark’s at Iowa. Her du-ty a-s mom @awebbreese should take notes and get better 🤡.”

According to ESPN, only 6,373 fans showed up to cheer for the Bayou Barbie at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. With a capacity of 13,215, that means nearly half the arena sat empty. In stark contrast, Carver-Hawkeye Arena was packed with 15,500 fans showing out for Caitlin Clark’s return. That’s a staggering difference of 9,127 in attendance. A fan reiterates the same thing saying, “Angel Reese couldn’t sell out LSU arena , Caitlin Clark sells out Iowa arena.” Another fan joined in saying, “Its confirmed that AR needed CC for her gaining popularity. CC still selling out arenas and AR not so much. This is real life not the internet”

When the Indiana Fever dropped the news that they’d be playing an exhibition game at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena on May 4, fans went wild. Ticket prices ranged from $70 to $250 (plus a $6 fee), and within just 45 minutes of going live on February 28, every single ticket was gone. Total sellout. But when the Chicago Sky announced Angel Reese’s homecoming at LSU, let’s just say–the hype didn’t quite match up. And that was evident with the turnout.

Here’s the wild part–LSU women’s games usually draw over 10,000 fans on average. That’s about 4,000 more than the crowd that showed up for Angel Reese’s WNBA homecoming. Embarrassing? One fan definitely thought so. “No… In my original post that Reese’s mom is talking about, I was pointing out Reese went back to LSU where she won a Natty. And could fill it up… I’m comparing that to when CC goes back to Iowa today. Iowa is gonna be rocking for CC’s return. LSU should be embarrassed for that.”

Reese was a key piece of LSU’s 2023 championship run, no doubt about it. But maybe the fact that she didn’t spend all four years with the Tigers played a role in why a portion of the fanbase didn’t fully connect with her. Whatever the reason, having half the arena empty when one of your program’s brightest stars returns? That’s tough. Still, credit to the fans who did show up–they brought the energy and made sure it didn’t feel like a half-full house.