"It's not about black and white" - Stephen A. Smith shuts down ESPN host's racial spin on Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese foul drama

Stephen A. Smith shut down a fellow ESPN personality during a heated discussion about the drama surrounding Caitlin Clark's foul on Angel Reese. Smith didn't want to hear any racial narrative being used in the debate since it's about basketball above anything else.

On a recent episode of "First Take," host Molly Querim asked Smith, Monica McNutt and Chiney Ogwumike if the issue is due to race. However, the eccentric analyst pointed to the history between Clark and Reese during the 2023 NCAA championship game.

"It's not about black and white," Smith said. "It's about that White player and that Black player. Why? Because of their history that they had before they came into the WNBA. It was all instigated. If Angel Reese was never in Caitlyn Clark's face taunting her the way that she did (...) chirping at her the way that she did, it would have never gotten to this point."

From 6:31 onward:

While there was nothing malicious about the foul, it has been turned into another narrative between two sides, especially on social media. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have acknowledged that it was a basketball player, with the Chicago Sky star urging everyone to move on.

However, some folks online on both sides of each player's fanbase have been going at it. The WNBA investigating an alleged fan incident involving Sky players didn't help, but at least this issue has more merit than a basketball foul. The league is taking a look at whether a fan or fans directed hateful comments to Reese or any other player.

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Caitlin Clark comments on WNBA investigation into Fever fans

Caitlin Clark comments on WNBA investigation into Fever fans. (Photo: IMAGN)

After allegations of hateful comments toward Angel Reese surfaced online, the WNBA began its investigation into the matter. Caitlin Clark was asked about it and commended the league for taking a look into it because stuff like that doesn't belong in the sport.

"Although I didn’t hear anything, I think that's why they’re doing the investigation," Clark said, according to Yahoo! Sports. "That’s why they’re looking into it. It doesn’t mean nothing happened. So, you just trust the league’s investigation and I’m sure they’ll do the right thing."

The drama is unlikely to be over, with the Fever and Sky set to face each other four more times this season. It will be interesting to see if things get even more physical, especially between Clark and Reese, though they really don't defend each other on the court.