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Oct 4, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III stands the bench against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Former Commanders QB blasted by Ryan Clark over Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese take

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated May 20, 2025 9:30 AM ET

Attention can be a good thing, and it can be a bad thing, something former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III learned in his time playing in the NFL. Another pro sports league is experiencing this as well, as its popularity continues to grow.

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has grown in popularity over the past few years, and things are only starting to heat up around the sport, catching the attention of the former Commanders' quarterback along with several others in sports media.

Much of the attention surrounding the WNBA has been thanks to the personalities in the league now, with much of the focus on Caitlin Clark for how she has helped revolutionize how the women's game of basketball is played. Her rivalry with fellow star Angel Reese has sparked widespread conversation. Griffin, the former Washington star who knows a thing or two about public drama, recently spoke up about the topic as well, and it did not go over great with all of his industry colleagues.

In their most recent matchup to open up the 2025 WNBA season, Clark gave a hard take foul on Reese, preventing her from getting an easy bucket at the rim. Reese took exception to the foul and responded in a way that might have been a bit excessive. The Indiana Fever and Clark would go on to win the contest handily, but it was that foul in particular that drew the attention of the national media and social media.

Griffin's stance on the incident is that Reese "hates" Clark based on that exchange and their past run-ins. RGIII's former co-worker at ESPN, Ryan Clark, took exception to his hate comments about the Clark-Reese rivalry, taking to his The Pivot podcast to clap back at his former teammate.

RGIII saying he could recognize “hate when ‘he’ see(s) it”, when referring to Angel Reese’s feelings toward Caitlin Clark was irresponsible, but not at all surprising. Clark’s the biggest star in women’s basketball, & deservedly so. No need to beat up Reese to add shine to it.… pic.twitter.com/u2IDFwctf0
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) May 19, 2025

There are many directions this conversation could have gone, and it likely should have just stayed the course of sports. However, Clark took a different approach, causing an even bigger uproar around the rivalry that has budded into one of the biggest in sports.

Being the face of any league comes with scrutiny from those outside as well as those who are competing against you. Even before entering the WNBA, Clark had experienced criticism, and since entering, those talks have become more prevalent.

As with any sport, there are rivalries between teams along with players, and the same can be said for Clark and the Chicago Sky's Angel Reese.

The WNBA has had its hands full as of late, and it likely will only continue to as the game continues to evolve. For us sports fans, it provides for some drama that draws attention to the women's game - something the league has been searching for for some time now.

The rivalry between Clark and Reese is a sports fan's dream, and we will continue to stay locked into the future clashes between their two teams.