In a heated debate surrounding the growing rivalry between WNBA rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the Barstool Sports founder, Dave Portnoy, has sharply criticized Joy Taylor for what he called the “dumbest most ridiculous rant of all time.”
The controversy stems from the Fox Sports analyst’s claim that Indiana Fever star’s widespread fame is largely due to her clashes with Reese-particularly during the 2023 NCAA championship game when the Iowa Hawkeyes took on the LSU Tigers.
The Tigers won the match in a 102-85 victory, but it also sparked one of the most publicized rivalries in women’s college basketball history as the 23-year-old’s taunting gestures toward Clark, including the now-famous “You Can’t See Me” celebration and pointing to her ring finger, went viral.
Taylor drew parallels between the Clark-Reese rivalry and that of NBA legends Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, framing the feud as pivotal to the WNBA’s growth and ultimately leading to the reaction of Portnoy.
“This is the Magic Johnson, Larry Bird moment for the WNBA,” Taylor told the Joe Budden Podcast. “This is great. I’m a storyteller. I think storylines are so f*ing important.
“I think you need villains. I think you need heroes. You need st to sell. You got to sell a fight, brand all of this.”
Taylor added: “It upset white men to watch this strong, winning, unapologetic Black woman be in Caitlin’s face. They still cling to it. It’s now spun to this whole thing where Caitlin’s better than Angel and blah, blah, blah.
“I just said… we would not be talking about Caitlin Clark the way that we do if it wasn’t for that moment with Angel Reese. I will die on this hill. I will die on this hill. I will fight this war.”
Portnoy slams Taylor’s comments
The numbers suggest both athletes earned their place in the spotlight on merit as much as rivalry. Reese, now with the Chicago Sky, dominated the 2023 NCAA Final Four, grabbing 15 rebounds and 10 assists, earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
Their next major encounter came in the 2024 Elite Eight, where Clark led Iowa to a 94-87 win over LSU and earned the last laugh in the NCAA chapters. However, she and the Hawkeyes again fell short in the national championship, this time against South Carolina.
Now into her second WNBA season, Clark is the reigning Rookie of the Year, poised to become a two-time All-Star and is averaging 19.8 points, 8.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 2024/25 as she continues to find success away from her rivalry Reese, something Portnoy quickly pointed out.
“The dumbest most ridiculous rant of all time,” Portnoy wrote on social media. “Nobody outside hardcore WNBA fans and LSU fans would know who Angel was if it weren’t for her riding Caitlin’s coattails.
“It’s made her a fortune so kudos to her, but this is the dumbest take I’ve ever heard.”
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