Terrell Owens Settles Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese WNBA Debate

Terrell Owens has a message for anyone still arguing over whether Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese deserves to be called the face of the WNBA: There's room for both.

The NFL Hall of Famer weighed in on the longtime rivals during a recent episode of his Get to the Point podcast with Chris Spencer.

He made it clear that he isn't buying into the idea that one superstar's success has to come at the other's expense.

"They're their own superstars in their own rights," Owens said.

"Angel Reese has her following and her fan base, and she's brought a lot of eyeballs just as well as Caitlin to the game of basketball for women."

Owens wasn't finished giving Reese her flowers, either.

The former wide receiver pointed to her journey from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream, where she helped the franchise reach the WNBA Finals, as another reason she deserves recognition.

The conversation came after Owens attempted to attend Game 7 between Atlanta and the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco.

Despite spending eight seasons with the 49ers and reaching out to several connections, he couldn't get a ticket.

"I could not get a ticket to the WNBA Finals in San Francisco," Owens said, calling the experience both disappointing and encouraging.

He ultimately watched the game from a hotel bar, but the difficulty of getting into the arena reinforced his belief that women's basketball has reached another level.

Owens also addressed the criticism Reese has faced over her outspoken personality, particularly her willingness to talk trash during games.

As far as he's concerned, that behavior comes with competitive basketball.

"I don't see it any different than male sport," he explained.

"They're going to be chippy."

"They're going to be mouthing off, talking trash at each other."

He added that "trash talking is part of the game," questioning why female athletes face different expectations than their male counterparts.

Still, Owens wasn't handing Reese a free pass on her performance.

He acknowledged limits to her scoring while highlighting her rebounding and defense.

This is not the first time Clark has addressed the topic of trash talk.

In a recent appearance on the Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce podcast, Clark set the record straight about her own on-court conversations.

"I don't really trash talk like that, honestly," Clark revealed.

"I mean if somebody says something to me like I'll probably go back."

In short, if you poke the bear, the bear is going to respond.

If you leave the bear alone, then the bear isn't going to say much.

Clark also made an admission about her interactions with referees.

"Honestly, the people I talk to the most is the refs," she added.

"Which I need to do better at."

Clark, like all basketball players in 2026, is a part-time lobbyist when it comes to the whistle.

Everyone needs to be and there's an argument that she absorbs more contact for fewer calls than any player in the WNBA.

It's unclear if less chatter from her would result in a more favorable whistle, but it's a thought.

It's also rare to hear a player admit that they could probably say less to officials.

Some might say refreshing.

We'll have to wait if that's something she works on during the offseason.

I wouldn't hold my breath because the first non-call or ticky tack infraction she encounters is going to bring back the urge to discuss.

The Clark vs. Reese debate has been a dominant storyline in the WNBA since both players entered the league.

Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, coming off a historic college career at Iowa where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball.

Reese was drafted No. 7 overall by the Chicago Sky in the same draft after leading LSU to a national championship.

The two faced off in the 2023 NCAA title game, with Reese's LSU defeating Clark's Iowa.

That game drew record television ratings and ignited a national conversation about women's basketball.