NBA star Jonathan Isaac weighs in on Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry

Fox News

4 days ago

The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continues to ignite the sports world.
Clark committed a flagrant foul against Reese earlier this month during the Indiana Fever's first 2025 matchup with the Chicago Sky. The on-court feud between the two basketball stars dates back to their time at the college basketball level.
Over the past couple of years, countless sports figures have debated whether the rivalry is beneficial. Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac said he ultimately believes it helps bring attention to women's basketball.
"I think it's truly great for basketball. Obviously, the reason it's being pitted like this is because it's great for TV. It sells tickets," Isaac told Fox News Digital on behalf of his Christian apparel brand UNITUS.
According to the company's official website, UNITUS' mission "is to inspire and empower people to live in greater unity, freedom, strength, and purpose."
Isaac acknowledged the outside factors that are often associated with the Clark-Reese rivalry, but he said it all boils down to what takes place on the basketball court.
"Some things I do think get out of hand with some of the commentary on the white vs. the black. I understand there's nuance to that and there's a reality to that as well. But, I think at the basic level it's basketball and rivalries are good for basketball. I think it's been amazing for women's sports. Because of the rivalry, because of Angel Reese, because of Caitlin Clark… [there's been an uptick in the] interest in women's basketball that wasn't completely there before. I'm happy for that. I want to see it play out. I want to see them continue to grow their careers and be the best female basketball players they can be."
Reese set the WNBA record for consecutive games with a double-double last season. Clark received WNBA rookie of the year honors last season after averaging 19.2 per contest and appearing in all 40 regular season games.
The Fever's game against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday marked the first time in Clark's WNBA that she was listed as inactive. Clark watched the Fever's 83-77 loss from the bench. She is expected to miss the next two weeks due to a left quadriceps strain, the team said.
Isaac is familiar with overcoming injuries. He tore his left ACL in Aug. 2020. In March 2023, he had surgery to repair a torn left adductor muscle. He was then forced to sit out for the remainder of 2022-23 season.
Isaac was ultimately able to bounce back and appeared in 71 games this past season.
Isaac said he's dealt with an onslaught of injuries throughout his NBA career. "The ACL injury was supposed to be a one-year (setback). But one, I had complications. Once everything got patched up, for some reason my hamstring… there's a muscle called the biceps femoris and I tore that and for some reason my hamstring wasn't getting stronger, but my knee was and my quad was. And then in the midst of that I tore my right hamstring while I was sprinting, because I was overcompensating. I came back to the league for 11 games and then tore my groin.
Isaac credited his faith, family, and support system for helping get past the string of injuries.
"(I) was able to get through it. My faith is a huge part of that, the people I have around me… my wife, my church family, just everyone encouraging me to just stick with it. And this past season I was able to play in 70 games."
Isaac, who famously stood for the national anthem while his other colleagues knelt before a game in the bubble in 2020, reportedly agreed to a contract extension in July 2024.
Isaac and the Magic agreed to a five-year, $84 million contract extension, ESPN reported at the time. The deal ties the forward with the Magic through the 2028-29 season.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.