Jemele Hill Compares Angel Reese Caitlin Clark Rivalry To Magic Johnson Larry Bird’s

The sports journalist feels that both rivalries re-energized their leagues.

The rivalry of WNBA rookies, Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, which started during their college days, has summoned memories of another collegiate rivalry that jumpstarted interest in the NBA in the 1980s.

Sports journalist Jemele Hill likened the ladies’ comparison to the one between Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird, who had a fierce rivalry when they played at Michigan State University and Indiana State University, respectively.

Interest in the WNBA has been at its strongest since the league started in 1997, and many have attributed that to the emergence of Clark, who was picked number one in the recent draft. Although the league has been around for almost 30 years, just like the NBA in the 1980s, there was renewed interest right after Clark and Reese entered the WNBA.

Hill appeared on TMZ and mentioned the women’s rivalry spilling from the college ranks and entering the WNBA in the same way Magic and Bird’s interaction laid the groundwork for their rivalry to reach another height in the NBA.

“Caitlin Clark was certainly surging in popularity before she and Angel Reese crossed paths,” she said “But the moment Angel Reese did the [you can’t see me gesture], this rivalry and the conversation around them both went to a completely different level.”

The two women met in the NCAA playoffs two straight years. Reese and LSU bested Clark and Indiana in 2023 on their way to taking home the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Earlier this year, the teams matched up in the semifinals, with Iowa beating LSU.

Indiana lost to the eventual unbeaten champions, the University of South Carolina.

“That’s why Larry Bird and Magic Johnson is an appropriate comparison. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had the most watched men’s national championship game in history. I believe they still have the record.” Hill said. “They brought all of that with them to the NBA. They had a rivalry from that game and brought all that to the NBA.”

Jemele Hill and Dan Le Batard discuss the dynamic between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, specifically the media coverage of the two and how Reese has faced a “lack of grace” from the public.Introduction: More Than a Game

In the world of sports, rivalries are often celebrated as the lifeblood of competition, the spark that ignites passion and draws in fans. But sometimes, the narratives built around these rivalries take on a life of their own—shaped not just by what happens on the court, but by the stories told off it. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ongoing saga of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, two young stars whose intertwined journeys have reshaped the landscape of women’s basketball and exposed the complexities of fame, race, and media coverage in the modern era.

The Rise of Two Stars

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese took college basketball by storm. Clark, with her deep three-pointers and record-breaking stats at Iowa, became a household name, drawing unprecedented crowds and media attention to women’s hoops. Reese, a force of nature at LSU, was equally magnetic—her rebounding, scoring, and unapologetic swagger inspiring a legion of fans.

Their paths famously crossed on the biggest stage: the 2023 NCAA championship game. Reese’s LSU team toppled Clark’s Iowa, and in the final moments, Reese’s now-iconic “you can’t see me” gesture toward Clark became an instant viral moment. What should have been a celebration of competition and excellence quickly morphed into a national debate about sportsmanship, race, and the double standards facing Black women athletes.

The Media Machine

As both Clark and Reese entered the WNBA, the rivalry followed them. But as Jemele Hill and Dan Le Batard recently discussed on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” the coverage surrounding these two women has been anything but equal.

Le Batard, reflecting on the media circus, noted that “what creates the conversation is some stuff that is larger than what is going on between the lines.” The drama, the perceived soap opera, often overshadows the actual basketball. “Men who are talking about it, myself included, are more informed and interested in the soap opera over here than just, you know, the games,” he admitted.

Jemele Hill, a veteran journalist who has written extensively about the intersection of sports, race, and culture, agreed. She pointed out that the influx of new fans—many drawn in by Clark’s stardom—has led to a conversation dominated by people without deep knowledge of the women’s game. “The drama becomes a lot sexier,” she said, “to just talk about this as a rivalry.”

The Unfair Burden

But beneath the headlines and highlight reels, Hill sees a deeper, more troubling dynamic at play—especially for Angel Reese. “What I do pick up from Angel Reese, because she said it and I like to go with the face value of what the athlete actually says, is I think she resents the fact that she can’t have her separate story away from the Caitlin Clark drama,” Hill explained.

For Clark, each press conference is a fresh slate—questions about her game, her leadership, her impact. For Reese, the shadow of Clark is ever-present. “She is not asked about Angel Reese at all,” Hill said of Clark. “Angel Reese is always routinely asked about Caitlin Clark. And I think she resents that part of it—the fact that, like, hey, I can’t even have my own identity outside of this storyline that has been following me since college.”

This lack of individual recognition isn’t just frustrating—it’s exhausting. When Reese left LSU, she did so in tears, citing the racial animosity and scrutiny she faced. “No one had any sympathy for her,” Hill recalled, “when she cried before the public and told you part of the reason she was leaving LSU was because of all the racial animosity that she faced.” Instead, the narrative became about her “behavior,” her “attitude,” and the now-inescapable rivalry with Clark.

The Double Standard

The contrast in how the two women are covered is stark. When Clark celebrates, it’s passion; when Reese does, it’s arrogance. When Clark is confident, it’s leadership; when Reese is, it’s seen as provocation. The difference, as Hill and many others have pointed out, is about more than basketball—it’s about race, gender, and the stories America is comfortable telling.

Hill put it bluntly: “They have painted this woman out to be so villainous and we forget how young she still is that naturally she’s wearing a lot of that on her sleeve.” The “lack of grace” shown to Reese isn’t just a media failing; it’s a reflection of broader societal biases that have long shaped the experiences of Black women in the public eye.

The Rivalry That Isn’t

Much of the drama, Hill argues, is manufactured. “I don’t pick up that Angel Reese has a personal hatred of Caitlin Clark,” she said. “What I do pick up…is I think she resents the fact that she can’t have her separate story away from the Caitlin Clark drama.” The two are fierce competitors, yes, but the idea that their relationship is defined by animosity is, in Hill’s words, “unfair.”

Instead, what’s really at stake is the right of both women to define themselves on their own terms—to be seen as more than just foils in a never-ending narrative. “If anything,” Hill said, “it’s about the way that people have talked about her and about the lack of, frankly, grace that they have shown her through since that moment.”

Moving Forward: Lessons for the League

The WNBA is at a crossroads. The arrival of Clark and the continued brilliance of Reese have brought new eyes, new revenue, and new opportunities. But the league—and the media that covers it—must reckon with the stories they tell. Will they continue to pit women, especially Black women, against each other for clicks and ratings? Or will they embrace the full complexity of their stars, allowing them to shine as individuals?

For fans, the challenge is to look past the noise and appreciate the game itself—the skill, the strategy, the sheer joy of competition. For journalists and commentators, the call is to provide context, empathy, and fairness—to recognize the burdens placed on athletes like Reese and to celebrate their achievements without reducing them to caricatures.

Conclusion: Beyond the Rivalry

The story of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese is about more than basketball. It’s about identity, representation, and the power of narrative. It’s about the ways in which young women are thrust into the spotlight and forced to carry the weight of expectations, stereotypes, and scrutiny. And it’s about the possibility of something better—a sports culture that celebrates rivalry without resorting to villainy, that makes room for every athlete’s story, and that shows grace to those who need it most.

As the WNBA continues to grow, the hope is that Clark and Reese—and all the women who follow—will be given the space to be more than just rivals. They deserve to be seen for who they are: extraordinary athletes, complex individuals, and pioneers of a new era in women’s sports.