Who's the best player in the country? To the media or me? As you [music] see it, man.
What the hell is Reebok doing? Y'all tripping. You got one of the most marketable WNBA athletes.
Not even WNBA athletes in general. But it's actually Indiana that has seven points off of the turnovers that Atlanta has created until we saw Angel Gray in part, excuse me, Angel Reese, shout out to our teammate, Angel Reese in particular, her energy shifted. I thought when she got some of those easy baskets to go in the paint that quite frankly she had struggled with to open the ball game, that's when you saw this defense begin to pick up its energy.
This dream squad had to begin to play with a little bit more confidence. Yeah. Athletes know it's not how you start, it's how you finish.
And that energy is contagious because if you look at Angel Ree, she already has seven and nine. She's already getting close to a double double. But then also, if you think about, you know, on the other side here, you're seeing the Indiana Fever.
They're just being a little bit methodical as well. Welcome back to the Clark update. Today we've got a shocking WNBA story that you definitely don't want to miss.
Angel Ree is reportedly going off after Reebok cancels her shoe contract and makes a huge move involving Caitlyn Clark. What happened behind the scenes? Why is Caitlyn Clark suddenly at the center of this massive deal?
And how could this change the rivalry between Clark and Ree? Let's break it all down because this story is getting wild. What if one of the most unpleasant aspects of Angel Reese's career is now the contract that was meant to make her one of Reebok's biggest basketball stars?
Reese's popularity, endorsements, and social media presence are no longer the only things in the spotlight following a string of performances that have left fans wondering about her offensive growth. Is Reebok simply investing on a brand that is currently far larger than the basketball player? Or is it actually seeing the superstar performance it anticipated when it made a significant investment in Ree?
Because it's getting harder to dismiss that question in light of what transpired versus Indiana. If you appreciate this content, consider giving this video a like and subscribing to the channel. Believe it or not, more than 73% of viewers haven't subscribed yet.
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Thank you so much for your support. Now, back to the video. What an embarrassment.
What an absolute embarrassment. ESPN's coverage of this toxic turd of a league. It is more embarrassing than this neverending burn on my lip that just refuses to go away.
Allow Uncle Casey to give you some valuable advice. Don't ever get so excited to eat your mother's cooking that the food burns your lip, especially if you're on camera every day because this damn thing is taking forever to heat. Reebok didn't just put Angel Reese's name on any old pair of trainers and call it a day.
Reese became the second WNBA player to acquire a signature sneaker from Reebok when the company signed her to a multi-year agreement and revealed that she would get her own. Did you guys hear that Angel Reese, that WNBA basketball player that does nothing but drama, Reebok has [music] pulled their uh endorsements and sponsors. Yeah, I am still laughing about what went down last night in that game against the Fever and the Dram Dog.
Caitlyn Clark laughing at Angel Ree about that last miss. [music] Man, it it was just so much going on in that game that had me laughing my butt off. It was ridiculous.
But this right here is the cherry on top. All right. During the halftime, I usually speak over these women and I was seeing my chat just going in.
They were like, "Man, they glazing Angel off of this terrible performance and I was like, "Hold on, man. I got to go back and listen. " And when I listened to it, man, I done gang eight abs, dog.
I done broke my side laughing so hard. This is crazy work. It's almost like they can't say any.
Additionally, it put Reese under a completely different level of scrutiny because once a corporation creates a distinctive product around you, people will inevitably begin to question whether your performance justifies the amount of the investment. Angel Reese even said she was playing like trash. Check this out.
Well, Angel, your team on a 17-4 run right now. You started with a 70 run. How did you kind of get things going for your team?
Yeah, I mean I was playing like in the beginning, but it's a game of runs. You got to put that in your back pocket. Well, Yeah, you continued to play like throughout the game.
Pardon the language. You cursed, so I did. Um, you continued to play like complete garbage.
And now here we have ESPN double double duel in Atlanta. And the truth is neither one of these bigs played well. Aaliyah Boston was missing layups terribly, too, as she's been doing for the last on August 16th, 2026.
The basketball discourse takes a very new turn. In a game that already had everything a television producer could desire, the Atlanta Dram hosted the Indiana Fever. Because playoff positioning was in jeopardy, Caitlyn Clark was back, Angel Reese was on the opposing side, and the long-standing college rivalry was lurking in the background like a compelling plot waiting to be activated.
Can we stop with the comparisons with Angel Reese and Caitlyn Clark? Can you let it die now? Caitlyn Clark was embarrassed in this girl, and I halfway feel sorry for Angel Reese.
Not what you think though. It's not because they're viciously [music] attacking her online. It's not that.
I don't feel bad about that cuz they do it to Clark all the time. She deserves it. She wanted this.
Andrew Reese wanted They're not just watching for one person. They're watching for me, too. Remember [music] that she's been trying to prove that she's been better than Caitlyn Clark this entire time.
Unfortunately for Ree, the plot revolved around the basketball. Ree then began to struggle. After starting the game especially slowly, she concluded the first half with seven points on three of 10 shots and nine rebounds.
In the halftime interview, Ree herself admitted that she had been playing terribly, which was likely the most accurate scouting report anyone could have given at the time. The tide finally turned as the fever prevailed 95 to 91 in overtime. Despite this, Ree finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.
Therefore, [music] this was not a statistical catastrophe in which she made no contribution at all. But when a professional basketball player has an uncontested opportunity around the hoop with the game on the line, the expectation is very straightforward. So, the last chance was so obvious that it became the image that many people recalled.
Complete the play and spent the entire day yesterday trying to convince us that Angel Ree is a professional basketball player. They tried to convince us that Angel Ree is the most dominant player in the league. Problem is, we have eyes and no one, and I mean no one believes that.
You know, I almost feel bad for Angel Reese. Keyword almost. I would feel bad for her if she refused to believe the lie that she is a a PhD dissertation in offensive technique is not sought after.
They want the ball to go in the hoop, which is crucial because the player's reputation has been largely based on her physicality, ability to get rebounds, and ability to control the paint. Reese's capacity to generate additional items has always been her greatest asset. She uses her physical presence to make it difficult for defenders, attacks the glass, and fights for offensive rebounds.
The statistics support the reality of that aspect of her game. She led the league in rebounds going into the game and finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds against Toronto earlier this season, including a career-high 11 offensive rebounds. No one needs to act as though those stats don't important, because they obviously do, but that's precisely music.
The game gets much more difficult once teams know exactly what they want to do. Defenders may obstruct your driving paths if they are aware that you are most dangerous around the basket. They can give up if they are aware that you are not a reliable three-point threat.
They can become ready for those attempts before you even make your move. If they are aware of your preferences for particular rim finishes, ESPN, y'all have to do better. Y'all have to do better.
Y'all have to get some actual honest media at some point. ESPN has [music] embarrassed themselves. You have Monica McNut and company, you know, the crew, Andrea Carter, Chinny Gumay, they were on ESPN on the telecast um on the broadcast lying about Angel Reese's performance.
You got ESPN pretending like Angel Ree played well. Andrea Carter lying saying Angel Reese wasn't missing her layups. Uh they were getting blocked or it was the defense.
At that point, professional defenses are made to force players to use talents they are less accustomed to using. Thus, physicality alone is insufficient. Ree has been questioned about whether her offensive development has kept up with her rising prominence at this point.
Naturally, [music] the internet responded to this news with its customary nuance. I don't intend any subtlety at all. Reese's missed layups led some detractors to conclude that he had forgotten the fundamentals of basketball.
Every challenging finish was interpreted by some as proof that she shouldn't be playing professionally. A missed shot turned into a referendum on her entire career at some point. And that's where we need to distinguish between internet theater and valid criticism.
Reese's missed shots are not the true problem. one of the largest personal brands in women's basketball is actually growing into the full-fledged defensive player that the buzz surrounding her implies she should be. But the problem is the kind of shot she is lacking and the media attention.
That takes us straight back to Reebok. Cancel the contract since the Reebok angle is far more sophisticated than her poor performance. The only thing she has over Clark is rebounds.
And I'm halfway looking at them because half of them come from you missing and the other half comes from you shoving people out the way under the rim like you did Clark last night. Like you did Natasha Howard last season when you won the fight. Like you do everybody else.
You're slapping them in the face. She plays dirty under the rim and she crosses her finger and squeeze her butt cheeks that the referees will not call it. That's what's going on with her.
We got to stop. You got great players, you got good players. There's a difference.
Y'all are trying to push Andrew Reese in the great player category when anybody who can see can see she's nowhere near Caitlyn Clark's level. Nowhere near. ESPN enters the discussion at that point.
Even if Reese's offensive statistics have been hard to defend, several ESPN personalities have been accused by critics of praising her excessively. After the fever game, when Ree was shooting poorly early in the match, the criticism intensified. However, the beneficial effects of her energy, rebounding, and general presence were still highlighted in the halftime conversation.
This is the point at which discomfort arises. If Ree collects nine rebounds in a half, creates extra possessions, fights for offensive boards, and increases defensive effort, commentators have every right to talk about those things. Therefore, praising a player's talents is not inherently problematic.
However, when her offensive shortcomings become apparent, the discussion may shift away from the basketball issue directly on the screen and instead focus on her personality, rebounding ability, enthusiasm, or impact. Good to great plays. You see Caitlyn orchestrating.
It's like both sides are leaning into their strengths on this one. Let's go back to to Angel really quickly, though, because she was part of the catalyst that you saw to be able to change things around. And she said to Holly, "I just feel like I needed to take a deep breath and maybe start stop overthinking some of these.
" Oh, I've been there. I've been there. Like sometimes the basket is too open.
Right. Right. She's used to getting double teams.
She's used to triple teams and she's used to contact and so sometimes when you see her like, "Wait, what's coming? You want to look over your shoulder, but she settled into the game well. " And what I like is she's been such a great mentor also to Medina.
At that point, the standard ought to rise rather than fall. Ree still needs to improve as an offensive player, but he can be a great rebounder, a physically formidable player, a marketable star, and an important character. Her ability to bounce back is truly valuable.
Her ability to generate extra possessions may alter the course of a game, and her physical presence provides possibilities. However, she still needs to work on her shooting, finishing, and offensive decision-making. Naturally, people begin to wonder if the basketball performance is commenurate with the size of the advertising effort.
That's what makes Reese's predicament uncomfortable. Reebok is more than just a sneaker bearing her name. Reese must show that the basketball player behind the brand is capable of growing beyond her current areas of expertise as the company is creating a basketball identity around her.
There is a picture floating around online because we all remember the final seconds of this basketball game. Yes. when Angel Reese could have won the game, had all the bragging rights over Kaylin Clark Elise for this one here.
Well, Angel Ree missed the damn layup. Now, for all of the Angel Ree fans, I just want y'all to calm down because this is nothing new. She's been missing layup.
She has consistently shown that she can control the glass. Therefore, her rebounding has never been the main concern. The more important concern is whether she can develop offensively to the point where defenders can't just focus their entire defensive plan on blocking her preferred routes to the hoop.
And that question is still unresolved as of right now. The good news for Ree is that the narrative is far from over because the game on August 16th shows why it would be insufficient to sum up her performance in terms of a single missed opportunity. Know what it is, but this weekend has to be one of the worst weekends ever for Angel Reese, bro.
[music] I mean, she became a meme last game. She became a super duper meme this game. And all I got to tell you is Kaitlyn Clark truly gets finding excuses for every flaw is not supposed to be the topic of discussion at this level.
It is meant to be about figuring out how to get rid of those flaws. That performance also followed a far better effort versus Connecticut in which Ree helped Atlanta win 104 to69 with 15 rebounds and four blocks. That kind of performance serves as a reminder that her worth does not vanish just because her jump shot isn't consistent on a given night.
It also demonstrates why teams still appreciate the physical and defensive contributions she makes. But being valuable is not the same as being whole. These are two entirely distinct things.
playing basketball or should I say attempting to play basketball. Multiple wide open. She was so wide open you couldn't see anybody else on the screen with her and she still missed a layup.
A chance to win the game at the buzzer. Wide open fundamental layup. Kiss it off the backboard.
Can't do that either. Getting blocked left and right. Michaela Timson.
Monique Billings treating her. Therefore, the claim that Ree is suddenly incapable of playing basketball is just as ludicrous as the claim that all criticism of her game is unjust. In actuality, she is a superb rebounder with tremendous defensive and physical value.
Even so, her offensive limitations continue to be a significant factor in her assessment as a professional athlete. How far her game can go will ultimately depend on how well she develops as a finisher, how consistently she shoots, how well she can attack various defensive looks, and how well she can punish defenders who leave her open. The discussion shifts if certain places get better.
If they don't, people will continue to notice the huge disparity between her level of fame and the shortcomings of her attacking style. Although Reebok's ongoing promotion of Ree shows that the company is still dedicated to the partnership and the Angel Reese one is already a well-known signature product rather than a theoretical concept, Ree is nevertheless subject to criticism. The exact opposite.
Expectations rise with the size of the brand. For all the people that was talking all the trash about Kayla Clark missing those free throws that one game. Yeah, we remember that.
We remember that. [music] And guess what? Angelice couldn't even make a damn layup to win the game.
And I'm telling you right now, [music] this is hella funny. Oh my god, this is super funny. This is more funnier than the video of the guy pretending to be Angel Reese.
I mean, she literally hit the floor, put her hands over her head. Sorry, guys. Hit the floor, put her hands over her head like, "Oh my god, I messed up.
" Yeah, you messed up real bad, Angel. Real real bad. But let's pull up the meme right now and let me show y'all this draft.
This puts us back to the first allegation that Reebok has terminated Angel Reese's contract because there isn't any reliable proof to support that assertion at this time. Actually, the evidence that is now available suggests otherwise as Reebok continues to market Ree and her iconic shoes while keeping her as a key component of its basketball strategy. However, there is some significance to the question.
Could business's assessments of Ree be impacted by criticism of her performances in the future? Of course, when defenders allow you room, counters become hazardous. Make dependable second chance points out of those offensive rebounds.
Additionally, seize the chance while the game is on the line. Reebok may not be concerned about Angel Ree at the moment, but the firm is undoubtedly watching the same basketball that everyone else is, which makes the whole scenario hilarious. It's possible that Reebok is wagering on the basketball players continued growth as the Angel Reese brand expands and say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah.
" But let's get back to Angel Reese. She almost didn't even want her to say anything good about Caitlyn Clark. I don't understand it.
Hey, hey, you only can say that about players who are too open shooting a three. Not right at the rim, dog. [laughter] Come on, man.
Come on, man. We don't say that for players right at the rim. Only when you're shooting threes, man.
Sometimes you are too open when you shoot a three, but not when you're right at the rim. That's ridiculous work. But if the basketball catches up to the brand, that wager will only get stronger.
Furthermore, the fact that the Angel Reese one keeps showing up in fresh releases simply serves to highlight how the Alliance is still an active component of Reebok's basketball strategy rather than something the firm seems eager to give up. Therefore, if the evidence really does not support that judgment, the true question may not be whether Reebok should terminate Angel Reese's contract. The more intriguing question is whether Ree can develop into the full-fledged basketball superstar that her brand stature says she should be.
Because there is currently an uncomfortable disconnect between manufacturing and marketing. The offensive skill set and the celebrity are not the same. There is a discrepancy between what fans occasionally see when she has the ball in her hands and how certain analysts describe her.
And the criticism stems precisely from that divide. The conversation might drastically shift if Ree can improve the areas that are now receiving criticism, especially her shooting, finishing, and offensive versatility. The same missed layups that are currently being repeated and ridiculed might later be reduced to an uncomfortable phase in the growth of a player who is far more complete.
However, the awkward question that no one in the marketing department can address for her will continue to be asked until that development occurs. Does the basketball player genuinely fit the brand? Thus, the sneaker can be sold by Reebok.
The plot can be sold by ESPN. The controversy can be sold on social media. However, Angel Ree must finally sell the basketball.
Knowing the sports media, don't be shocked if some of the most vocal critics of her today suddenly start saying that they were only waiting for her breakthrough all along if she eventually changes those shortcomings into strengths. What if one of the most unpleasant aspects of Angel Reese's career is now the contract that was meant to make her one of Reebok's biggest basketball stars? Reese's popularity, endorsements, and social media presence are no longer the only things in the spotlight following a string of performances that have left fans wondering about her offensive growth.
Is Reebok simply investing on a brand that is currently far larger than the basketball player? Or is it actually seeing the superstar performance it anticipated when it made a significant investment in Ree? because it's getting harder to dismiss that question in light of what transpired versus Indiana.