Days after Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark controversy, Tom Brady's ex-teammate makes feelings known on "race" component in WNBA

After Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark clashed on the court, there has been a renewed interest in how to perceive their rivalry. Former Super Bowl winner LeSean McCoy, who played alongside Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, believes their rivalry plays an important role in growing the popularity of the sport.

According to McCoy, the "race component" is a major factor driving the growth of several women's sports.

"I want to touch back on something else," McCoy said on FS1's Facility. "Because you guys talk about the race component, but it's needed in sports. Let me tell you why. When you look at women's basketball, would you say that kind of race component helped elevate the game, or these women's track games? It's the race component, right?"

While Clark has been largely credited for the meteoric rise in popularity of the league, McCoy believes Reese is right in saying that she deserves some recognition.

“I think Caitlin might look at it like... 'I don't think we on the same class. I don't want to be compared with her,' right? Because she never, ever gives Angel any credit or any light… And then maybe Angel might feel somewhere like, ‘Yo man, like y'all want to talk about her elevating the game of women's basketball, and I have a lot to do with it.’ And she's (Reese) right, regardless of who's better."

LeSean McCoy says Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark's different 'races' add to the WNBA rivalry

LeSean McCoy said that Caitlin Clark, as a white woman, is taking over the league, while Angel Reese, who is black, is bringing her own attitude to the sport. According to him, both are required to elevate the profile of the game.

"You got a white girl from Iowa, right? She's doing all types of stuff. She's beating all the black girls. Then you got on the other side, Angel Reese, right? The way she might carry herself, the way she plays... It took an elite black girl, an elite white girl, to elevate the game, right?"

That, according to the former Super Bowl winner, is what clicks on social media and gets people engaged.

The rivalry looks set to stay, though both will hope they can elevate their game consistently to win the big prizes.