Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are two of the most popular players in the WNBA, and have helped the league grow exponentially since entering the professional ranks in 2024.
However, the W has a problem pertaining to Clark and Reese that it must correct in order to continue expanding its fan reach, argues Ryan Ruocco, who provides play-by-play for NBA and WNBA games on ESPN.
‘People are…afraid to say anything bad’
During an appearance on the “Girls Tripp” podcast Thursday, Ruocco argued that those who cover and analyze the WNBA are hesitant to be critical of players who are not Clark or Reese.
“For this league to grow, people have to feel more comfortable being critical and it not being a personal attack or hating,” Ruocco said. “And, people have to be critical of more than just Caitlin Clark quite frankly.
“In my opinion, most of the ecosystem feels comfortable being critical about one player, maybe two. Angel [Reese] would be the other. Everybody else, people are very afraid to say anything bad about even if it’s very small, micro thing. And that’s not real sports.”
Ryan Ruocco: “People have to be critical of more than just Caitlin Clark…most of the ecosystem feels comfortable being critical about one player maybe two. Angel would be the other. Everybody else people are very afraid to say anything bad about…and that’s not real sports.” pic.twitter.com/bKIBxAjHbs
— correlation (@nosyone4) August 28, 2026
Clark and Reese entered the league with a rivalry from their college days, as well as large personal fanbases. They’ve also both been lightning rods at different times during their first three seasons.
Another journalist made similar points
Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, who covered the NBA for years at ESPN, recently lamented that WNBA media is too soft. While his proposed solution–more men on national broadcasts–came off awkwardly, there is some overlap between Bucher’s comments and what Ruocco had to say.
“It all comes off as safe and monotone and cookie cutter, especially when it comes to controversial topics,” Bucher said on his podcast two weeks ago. “DiJonai [Carrington] took Sophie Cunningham’s head off, and the broadcasters were debating whether it would be elevated to a Flagrant 2. They sounded afraid to say it, even after multiple replays showed DiJonai made no attempt to make a play on the ball. The studio analysts were no better.
“All of it feels like a girls’ club. The media protecting the league from real scrutiny or critique. I’ll ask again: What are they afraid of? Players can’t take it? That critiquing a woman in public is no way to treat one?”
Again, Bucher made gender an explicit part of his analysis more than Ruocco did, but both seem to be saying there’s more room for criticism of WNBA players.
[ New York Post ]
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