Joe Budden brutally mocks Angel Reese after heated Caitlin Clark incident

Following the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese incident that dominated headlines during the WNBA’s 2025 opening weekend, former rapper and current podcaster Joe Budden took a swipe at the Chicago Sky sophomore on his show.

On a recent episode of “Joe Budden TV,” the podcast host weighed in on Clark’s Flagrant 1 foul against Reese and their budding league rivalry. Budden drew a comparison to the legendary Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry of the 1980s but said only Clark resembles Magic — while Reese is simply “a bird.”

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He said:

“Anybody's seen Angel Reese shoot 24 shots, miss 27 shots and just keep jumping up, hitting her head on the rim. … It is Magic — and a bird!”

While Clark has impressed fans with her scoring touch and passing flair reminiscent of Magic, Reese has gained recognition for her dominance on the boards, though her shooting efficiency remains a concern.

According to WNBA shot distance data from her rookie season, Reese converted 44.5% of her attempts within five feet. From 5 to 9 feet, her accuracy dipped to 11.1%, and she made just 33.3% of her shots from 10 to 14 feet.

From midrange, she shot 35.7% between 15 and 19 feet and 18.2% from 20 to 24 feet. Beyond 25 feet, she hit just one of six attempts.

In her season opener this year, Reese shot 35.7%.

Dave Portnoy denies racism claims tied to Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese clash

Amid an ongoing WNBA investigation into alleged racist remarks aimed at Angel Reese during the season opener, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy dismissed the claims as the work of internet “trolls.”

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“I think they're just trolls — they're just people who hate Caitlin Clark,” he said in a video posted on X. “They're trolls, and they're like, ‘Of course the Indiana Fever are making like monkey sounds and other racist sounds at Angel Reese,’ which is total garbage, totally made up.

“I've sat on the wood for a million games, been in a million environments. The crowd at the Fever game: little girls, families, ladies. Nice crowd.”

The WNBPA, in a statement in support of the league’s investigation, said there’s no room for inappropriate conduct in the sport.

“Under the WNBA's 'No Space for Hate' policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all,” it said.

Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky are scheduled to clash again on June 7.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro