Key Takeaways
- Terrell Owens says Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese can both represent the WNBA, calling them “their own superstars” who bring distinct fan bases to women’s basketball.
- Owens defended Reese’s trash talk as part of competitive basketball and highlighted her rebounding and defense while acknowledging limits to her scoring.
- Owens said he couldn’t secure a WNBA Finals ticket in San Francisco despite his 49ers connections, viewing the disappointment as evidence of the league’s growing popularity.
Terrell Owens has a message for anyone still arguing over whether Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese deserves to be called the face of the WNBA: There's room for both.
The NFL Hall of Famer weighed in on the longtime rivals during a recent episode of his Get to the Point podcast with Chris Spencer, making it clear that he isn't buying into the idea that one superstar's success has to come at the other's expense.
"They're their own superstars in their own rights," Owens said. "Angel Reese has her following and her fan base, and she's brought a lot of eyeballs just as well as Caitlin to the game of basketball for women."
Owens wasn't finished giving Reese her flowers, either. The former wide receiver pointed to her journey from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream, where she helped the franchise reach the WNBA Finals, as another reason she deserves recognition.
The conversation came after Owens attempted to attend Game 7 between Atlanta and the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco. Despite spending eight seasons with the 49ers and reaching out to several connections, he couldn't get a ticket.
"I could not get a ticket to the WNBA Finals in San Francisco," Owens said, calling the experience both disappointing and encouraging.
He ultimately watched the game from a hotel bar, but the difficulty of getting into the arena reinforced his belief that women's basketball has reached another level.
Owens also addressed the criticism Reese has faced over her outspoken personality, particularly her willingness to talk trash during games. As far as he's concerned, that behavior comes with competitive basketball.
"I don't see it any different than male sport," he explained. "They're going to be chippy. They're going to be mouthing off, talking trash at each other."
He added that "trash talking is part of the game," questioning why female athletes face different expectations than their male counterparts.
Still, Owens wasn't handing Reese a free pass on her performance. He acknowledged that Atlanta needed more production during its championship loss and pointed out that Reese's contributions extend beyond scoring.
"She's not an offensive juggernaut as a Gabby Williams," he said, highlighting Reese's rebounding, defense and ability to disrupt opposing offenses.
Meanwhile, Clark continues building her profile both on and off the court. The Indiana Fever guard recently teamed up with Cookie Monster for an Xfinity commercial, adding another major brand partnership to a portfolio that includes Nike, Gatorade and State Farm.
Clark has also spoken about the darker side of the attention the Fever have received. During her season-ending media availability, she condemned racist attacks directed at teammate Kelsey Mitchell and rejected anyone using her name to spread hate.
"As far as people that have used me to demonstrate racist rhetoric or hate or discrimination, that's not something I stand for," Clark said.
