MAGIC JOHNSON BREAKS SILENCE ON CLARK vs. REESE DEBATE—AND HIS BRUTAL TRUTH LEAVES ANGEL REESE’S CAMP REELING
“Caitlin Clark is the show. Angel Reese is just along for the ride.” —Magic Johnson
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In a moment that stunned the basketball world, NBA legend and WNBA team owner Magic Johnson has delivered what many are calling the harshest reality check in the league’s history. During a recent interview, Johnson—known for his charisma, honesty, and deep understanding of basketball’s business side—didn’t hold back when asked about the much-hyped rivalry between WNBA rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
And what he said has sparked a firestorm.
A Loaded Question. An Explosive Answer.
It began innocently enough. Magic was asked to reflect on comparisons being drawn between the emerging Clark-Reese dynamic and his iconic rivalry with Larry Bird.
But instead of brushing it off with a diplomatic smile, the Lakers legend dropped a hammer: “Caitlin is the most popular WNBA player—but she’s not just popular. She’s also the most impactful. She’s transforming the sport. And that’s not something you can say about Angel Reese right now.”
From that moment on, the gloves were off.
The Clark-Reese Rivalry: Manufactured Hype?
For over a year, sports media had pushed the narrative: Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark were the WNBA’s new version of Magic and Bird—two rising stars, equally talented, equally influential, destined to lift the league into a new golden age.
But Magic wasn’t buying it.
He recalled how he and Bird were universally acknowledged as the top two players in college basketball before entering the NBA—both led their teams to championship games, both had unmatched star power, and both generated equal fan frenzy. That, he implied, is not what’s happening here.
“You can’t create a rivalry out of thin air,” Magic said. “Back then, it was real. We were equals. This? Not so much.”
“Angel Isn’t Driving This Bus.”
The most stinging part of Magic’s commentary was his clear assertion that Reese isn’t carrying equal weight in the WNBA’s rising popularity.
“The numbers don’t lie,” he said. “When Clark plays, people watch. Ratings skyrocket. Arenas fill. That’s what star power looks like.”
Indeed, viewership metrics back him up. Games featuring Caitlin Clark have broken WNBA records in attendance and ratings, even when Angel Reese isn’t on the court. From endorsement deals to ticket sales, Clark’s economic impact is impossible to deny.
As Johnson—himself a co-owner of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks—pointed out, Clark’s presence is already helping drive up the league’s media rights value, setting the stage for larger TV contracts, higher player salaries, and chartered team flights.
“She’s not just playing basketball,” he said. “She’s shifting the entire financial foundation of the league.”
Reese’s Role: Intensity, Not Transformation
To be clear, Magic didn’t outright disrespect Reese. He acknowledged her passion, her energy, her strong rebounding stats. But the tone was telling—more like giving credit to a solid supporting player than recognizing a transformational superstar.
He compared her presence to a compelling storyline, something that adds to the drama—but not someone audiences tune in specifically to see.
“When people come to games,” he said, “they’re coming to see Caitlin Clark. That’s the truth.”
A Commentary on Authenticity
Perhaps the most cutting edge of Johnson’s assessment was his commentary on authenticity vs. media spectacle.
While he praised Clark’s “natural charisma” and “genuine competitive fire,” he appeared to suggest that some players—read: Reese—rely more on controversy and social media buzz than on-court dominance to stay in the spotlight.
“You can’t tweet your way into superstardom,” he quipped at one point.
And fans knew exactly who he was talking about.
Crushing the Rookie of the Year Hopes?
The timing couldn’t have been worse for Angel Reese. Just as she was beginning to build momentum for WNBA Rookie of the Year, Magic Johnson publicly questioned whether she belonged in the same conversation as Clark.
And coming from someone of his stature, it wasn’t just a hot take—it was a statement with institutional authority.
As one sports radio host put it the next morning: “When Magic speaks, it becomes gospel. He didn’t just critique Reese—he ended the debate.”
Fallout and Fracture
Since the interview aired, reactions have been swift and divided.
Angel Reese’s supporters are calling Magic’s comments dismissive and unfair. “She’s one of the best defenders and rebounders in the league already,” one fan tweeted. “How can you ignore that?”
But even some of her defenders admitted: “Magic wasn’t lying. Clark’s doing things we’ve never seen before.”
Meanwhile, media outlets have shifted tone dramatically. The “rivalry” narrative is fading, replaced by a new storyline: Clark as the clear face of the league, and Reese as a rising talent still finding her place.
Endorsements, marketing teams, and even broadcasters are reportedly rethinking how they frame the two rookies.
Not a Personal Attack—Just Business
Importantly, Magic didn’t frame any of this as personal. For him, it was about understanding sports entertainment at the highest level—what drives interest, what builds legacy, what sells.
“This isn’t about who tweets the most or who yells the loudest,” he said. “It’s about who brings the magic.”
In his view, Clark is the once-in-a-generation player who transcends stats and becomes a cultural force—much like he and Bird once were. Reese, for now, is a talented, tough competitor—but not someone who redefines the game.
A Valuable Lesson in Stardom
While some have accused Magic of being too harsh, others argue that his candor offers a valuable lesson—not just to Reese, but to any young athlete hoping to reach the top.
Superstardom isn’t just about talent. It’s about impact. Influence. The ability to elevate not only your game, but your entire sport.
“Angel Reese is good,” Magic said. “But Caitlin Clark? She’s special.”
And in a league hungry for transformation, that difference means everything.
SEE MORE: Who is Sophie Cunningham? Caitlin Clark’s new ‘bodyguard’ teammate emerging as a WNBA icon
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has become the second-most popular WNBA player among many circles of fans in recent days after aggressively protecting teammate Caitlin Clark from players who hit her.
During a game against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, Cunningham started a brawl between the two teams after several physical plays against Clark.
Cunningham’s persona and popularity skyrocketed in the days that followed, as she is slowly becoming an icon among the WNBA’s newer fans.
Cunningham’s follower count on social media has rapidly multiplied
June 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) in the second half against the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
Prior to Tuesday’s game, Cunningham had fewer than 400,000 followers on TikTok.
At the time of publication, she has 1.2 million on TikTok and that number is only growing.
She has an estimated increase of more than 300,000 followers on Instagram since the game as well, with a total of more than 800,000 at the time of publication.
Sportico estimates that her increase in followers could be worth over $1 million.
“It’s unprecedented growth,” Addison Abdo, who represents Cunningham as a senior director at sports management agency PRP, told the outlet. “We work with some pretty big athletes that have gone viral for some pretty big things, but this has been something that I haven’t seen before—this type of growth in this short amount of time … was very new territory.”
Cunningham comes from a family of southern farmers
A five-part feature series by Cunningham’s alma mater, the University of Missouri, recounted her family’s southern farm roots.
Cunningham learned to ride horses and drove four-wheelers to the family’s grain silos.
“So much of our success goes back to what we learned here,” Cunningham said of working on the farm. “We loved coming out to the farm to help. We found out how to work hard and work together. It made us farm strong.”
Cunningham even had a special name for her farmer grandparents: “Maw Maw and Paw Paw.”
Cunningham played football with boys in high school
Cunningham was born into a family of athletes, as her parents, Jim and Paula Cunningham, each played sports at the University of Missouri. Her father played football, and her mother competed in track and field.
So Sophie ended up in sports right away.
She played girls’ basketball and volleyball at Rock Bridge High School in Missouri, but even ended up following in her dad’s footsteps on the football field.
A 2014 article by the Columbia Missourian reported that Cunningham was the first female to ever score any points for the team in history, when she kicked two of four extra points in place of the team’s regular kicker, who had suffered a torn ACL.
Cunningham even handled kick-off duties.
“I was so nervous,” Cunningham told the outlet. “I mean, I’ve never played football before in all my life. Right when I got the ball (on the opening kickoff), I couldn’t hear anything. I just put the ball down and kicked it.”
Cunningham has been able to fight since she was a very young child
With Cunningham earning the nickname “the enforcer” for the Fever, fans counting on her to protect Caitlin Clark can take confidence in knowing she is a black belt in the Korean martial art of Taekwondo.
She earned the black belt at just the tender age of six.
Cunningham’s martial arts experience earned the affection of ESPN host Pat McAfee.
“It feels like Caitlin Clark is going to get treated in a certain way in this league for a long time. She’s not a rookie anymore. She has already proved herself. She has won. And then there was some ladies last night that were trying to get a little physical,” McAfee said during an episode of his show Wednesday.
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA: Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) poses for a photo on Saturday, May 17, 2025, before a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith- Imagn Images via IndyStar)
“And last year, I think something we noticed… when Caitlin would get bullied, nobody would do nothing… They bring in Sophie Cunningham, I had no idea Sophie Cunningham was a black belt at the age of six! Boom! ‘Jacy Sheldon, that’s cute. You want to poke [Clark] in the eye?… I’ll take a take-foul, and you’ll eat the deck a little bit here.’”
Cunningham was once criticized for wearing a hat that resembled a MAGA hat
Back in June of last year, Cunningham posted a photo of herself wearing a red hat with white text on social media, and swarms of critics rushed to speak out against her for perceived support of Donald Trump.
June 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon (4) get into a fight in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
However, the hat simply said “Hot Cowgirl Summer.”
Cunningham’s team at the time, the Phoenix Mercury, even had to make a post from the official team account to clarify what the hat said.
OutKick has previously reported that Cunningham has been regularly criticized by WNBA fans who have nicknamed her “MAGA Barbie.”
Cunningham’s official political views are unknown.
