ESPN’s Monica McNutt Makes Strong Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Statement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated May 19, 2025 12:04 PM ET

The WNBA tipped off its 2025 season with a packed opening weekend that featured eight games. One of the most talked-about matchups was between two rising rivals, the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky.

Indiana dominated the contest, cruising to a 93-58 win. But it wasn’t the final score that made headlines; it was a moment in the third quarter that sparked debate and controversy across the league.

During the second half, Caitlin Clark committed an intentional foul on Angel Reese. Clark was assessed a flagrant 1 foul, and Reese was handed a technical foul for her reaction.

What might have otherwise been a routine physical play became a major play. Online reactions quickly spiraled, with some fan comments crossing the line into racism. The WNBA quickly responded, issuing a statement condemning “hateful fan comments” that followed the incident.

On Monday morning’s episode of "Get Up" on ESPN, Monica McNutt addressed the situation with strong and thoughtful commentary.

.@McNuttMonica and @chiney share a message after Caitlin Clark's flagrant foul on Angel Reese in Sky-Fever. pic.twitter.com/ND4sLCexEF
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 19, 2025

“Whether you like it or not, anything that happens with the two of them, one is automatically seen as a victim, and one is automatically seen as someone who needs to be saved,” McNutt said.

She continued, acknowledging the competitive spirit of both athletes.

“In reality, both are incredible competitors. They both said this was just a basketball play.”

Her boldest take came when she flipped the script to explore the media and fan response if roles were reversed.

“Now Greeny, let’s be honest,” she said. “If this was the other way around — oh Lord, you can only imagine how this conversation would have gone.”

Angel Reese finished the game with 12 points and 17 rebounds in 24 minutes. Caitlin Clark, the former Iowa Hawkeye and the league’s most-watched player, recorded a triple-double in her season debut. Clark tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes.

These two teams are set to clash again soon — four more times this season: