Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith Sends 2-Word Plea to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese After Flagrant Foul

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated May 19, 2025 11:38 AM ET

The women's basketball community is still buzzing about what went down in the third quarter of the Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever WNBA game on May 17, when Caitlin Clark was called for a flagrant foul for a take-foul turned shove to her longtime rival, Angel Reese.

Of course, Reese and Clark's storied rivalry goes back to the 2023 NCAA championship game, when Reese taunted Clark moments before her LSU Tigers defeated Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes by pointing to her ring finger in Clark's face.

There have been several other moments between them before Saturday, but the most distinct came when Reese got up from that shove and tried to get in Clark's face before she was pushed away by Fever player Aliyah Boston.

Angel Reese takes exception to this Caitlin Clark foul pic.twitter.com/zV23fdfu23
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) May 17, 2025

As soon as this incident occurred, it became clear that it would be discussed by sports pundits. And Stephen A. Smith sent a strong message about the moment during a May 19 episode of ESPN First Take.

"I have never deemed that to be a bad thing," Smith said of what Reese did to Clark in the 2023 NCAA championship game. "I love that kind of confrontation, I love that kind of heat."

Smith later added, "What I would say to all of y'all is this: As a person that has covered the NBA, and grew up watching the NBA... the bottom line is the [Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird] rivalry contributed to the [NBA's] popularity.

"So Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark: Embrace this! It's okay! Because all y'all doing is competing," he concluded.

Stephen A. Smith on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

“It’s about the white player and that black player!” pic.twitter.com/SfaClsIljJ
— VideoMixtape.com (@VideoMixtape_) May 19, 2025

Smith urging Clark and Reese to "embrace this" rivalry speaks volumes, especially because as long as it stays confined to the basketball court, it's only going to grow the game.

This article first appeared on Women's Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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