WNBA players on social media seemingly responded Tuesday to comments made by commissioner Cathy Engelbert regarding the rivalry between rookies Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. Engelbert, speaking on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” compared the two stars’ competition to the historic rivalry between NBA legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, drawing mixed reactions from the league’s players.

“It’s a little of that Bird-Magic moment, if you recall, from 1979 when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one black.” Engelbert had said of Clark and Reese, adding that sports needed rivalries to boost viewership. “One thing I know about sports: You need rivalries. That’s what makes people watch games of consequence.”

The comments quickly spread across social media, with players voicing their discomfort with the comparison. Reese’s Sky teammate Brianna Turner tweeted, “My eye must be deceiving me 😅 bc ain’t no way 👀,” while fellow teammate Michaela Onyenwere echoed a similar sentiment, simply posting, “Yikes. 😬” in response seemingly to Engelbert’s comments.

Las Vegas Aces’ Sydney Colson took a more pointed approach by tweeting a clip from the movie “Billy Madison,” where Jim Downey's character goes on a diatribe: At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.” Colson’s tweet garnered over 118,000 views.

Colson's Aces teammate Alysha Clark joined the conversation by tweeting, “Sweet. Baby. Jesus.” alongside a gif from “Tim and Eric Awesome Show.”

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The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese can be traced back to the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship game, when Reese famously taunted Clark during the game.

Caitlin Clark has shattered several records in her first season in the WNBA, including the most double-doubles by a guard, the most three-pointers made in a single season and the most assists by a rookie in WNBA history. She is currently averaging 19.2 points, 8.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Angel Reese, on the other hand, has dominated the boards, securing the record for most rebounds in a single season by a rookie, an impressive feat that highlights her physicality and court presence. Despite her season being cut short due to a wrist injury, Reese finished with a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game.