Shaquille O'Neal clears up misunderstandings surrounding the rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, leaving fans curious about what really happened. (PO)

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has long advocated for women’s basketball, and now he has placed his bet on the brewing rivalry between the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese and the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. Both Reese and Clark have drawn millions of new viewers to the WNBA, thanks to their stellar play and college battles, with Clark at Iowa and Reese at LSU. These new viewers should drive league revenue up, making Shaq’s call for equal pay in the WNBA closer to reality.

“Let’s not get it twisted, I’m Angel all day,” the legendary big man said in an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, via ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter. “Like, for example, NFL, I’m Cowboys, and there ain’t nothing to talk about. WNBA, I’m Angel all day.”

“Let’s not get it twisted, I’m Angel all day… I don’t want [Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark] together, I want them to battle against each other.”
Shaq says he’s Team Angel 🗣️
(via @bigpodwithshaq) pic.twitter.com/1ElP24miax
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 24, 2024

Shaquille O’Neal picks the Sky star

While Shaq picked Angel Reese as his bet, he still gave Caitlin Clark her well-deserved props.

“Now, I’m not Shaq, I’m a fan. Caitlin plays the right way,” he added. “I saw it, she makes the right play. She makes her teammates better, she shoots the ball, she’s a great player. But I’m Angel Reese all day. Don’t ever get it twisted.”

When asked about the possibility of Reese and Clark playing on the same team, citing their perfect fit for a heavy pick-and-roll scheme, Shaq dismissed the idea.

“I don’t want them together, I want them to battle against each other. It’s a whole bunch of storylines that I think it’s very interesting. And I think it has definitely elevated the women’s game,” O’Neal continued. “Don’t make no mistake about it. I’m Angel Reese all day.”

Shaq’s point about wanting the Sky and Fever rookies battling each other seemed kind of ironic coming from him, considering he has played with, and won NBA titles with, some of the best guards in NBA history: Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade.

Still, the legendary big man would agree with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson comparison for the two women. Like Bird and Magic, the two women drew millions of new fans and ushered in a new golden age of popularity for the league.