Former WNBA star Renee Montgomery has posted a scathing PSA aimed at “vicious” Kaitlyn Clark fans after Angel Reese recently accused some of the Fever star's fans of being racist.
Montgomery, who won two championships with the Lynx during her 11-year WNBA career and became a part-owner of the Dream in 2021, spoke about the situation surrounding the fan base of the All-Star rookie whose college rivalries have spilled over into the league.
“Today I want to talk about Kaitlyn Clark and her fanbase,” she said on Tuesday's “Montgomery & Co.” podcast. “Bots aside, I believe some of her fake fans don't even watch her games. Kaitlyn Clark fans have a life of their own… This PSA does not apply to the general Kaitlyn basketball fanbase right now.”
“…I'm speaking of a specific group motivated by hate and destruction, and if that's not you, this is not about you… This does not seem to be about Caitlyn and her fans… They're just ready to fight on social media.
“…it doesn't represent us [a longtime WNBA fan]For example, it's fine for a die-hard Falcons fan to hate on the Saints, but it's a bit much to create nude AI photos of Saints players and send them to their families. That's exactly what Kaitlynn's fans did to Angel Reese.”
Montgomery, who led the University of Connecticut to the NCAA national championship in 2009, spoke out after Reese said she had been the victim of fake AI nude photos, death threats and racist abuse on social media.
“Hate in sports is OK. Hate in sports is part of the game,” said Montgomery, who ended her WNBA career with the Dream by sitting out the 2020 season to focus on social change and justice.
“It's fine when our fans are passionate and overly passionate and hate the other team, but what are you doing when you're being verbally racist, sexist and violent? … It's not acceptable.”
Reese spoke about the issue during a recent podcast.
“It's really just the fans. Her fans, Iowa fans, Indiana fans … they're all running for her,” Reese said on a recent episode of the “Unapologetically Angel” podcast, “and I respect that.”
“Respectfully, but sometimes very rude. I think there's too much racism. And I [Clark] In any case, I don't take any stand on any of it.”
Rees said she also received death threats.
“People have come to my address and followed me home. That's how it's happened.” [On] “A lot of times, people have taken pictures of me with AI and literally taken me naked. They've sent it to my family. My family, my uncles, they're sending it to me and they're like, 'Oh my God, you're naked on Instagram?'” Reese said.
“It's tough to watch, it's really tough for me to have to go through that and tough to see other guys have to go through that, but at the end of the day it's a game that we both love. There's no animosity. [between us].”
The college rivalry and popularity of Clark and Reese helped boost the WNBA's ratings, revenue and viewership, but some fans have become too obsessed.
Reese, who was selected by the Sky with the seventh overall pick out of LSU in the 2024 WNBA Draft, was named the 2023 NCAA Women's Tournament Most Outstanding Player after the Tigers defeated Clark and Iowa, 102-85, to win the national championship.
The Hokies defeated the Tigers in the Elite Eight of this year's March Madness tournament, but lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the finals.
Last week, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert received backlash from players after she avoided a question about how she would address the “dark” side of social media and its impact on the fanbases of the league's players, particularly Clark and Reese.
Instead, recent CNBC's “Power Lunch” Engelbert highlighted the benefits of Clark and Reese's rivalry, likening it to that of NBA legends Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who played before social media existed.
