Ex-ESPN Host Launching Podcast Centered on Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Rivalry

Cari Champion is well-known across the sports world for her past work on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and “First Take” as well as Amazon Prime Video’s “The Cari Champion Show,” and now she’s tackling the hottest topic in the WNBA: the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry.

Champion and iHeart Media recently announced that her “Naked Sports with Cari Champion” podcast will be shifting its fourth season to focus on the two WNBA stars in a six-part limited series titled “The Making of a Rivalry: Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese.”

The show will focus on the duo’s rise from high school to college and examining how the media has covered their perceived feud dating back to their days at Iowa and LSU, respectively.

“The media’s fixation on their so-called rivalry has been fueled by the same gender and racial bias that has haunted women’s sports for generations,” iHeart Media said in a release. “And now that Clark and Reese have brought thousands of new fans to the sport, is it safe to say that this storyline is what the WNBA needed? Or has it invited toxicity into a space that has always prided itself on its inclusivity and sisterhood?

“In this groundbreaking series, Cari Champion searches for answers from those who know Clark and Reese best — from the coaches who helped shape their game, to the players and journalists who have witnessed their meteoric rise first-hand. … [The podcast] is not just about two of the brightest flames the sport has ever seen, but it also asks an essential question – in a time of such divisiveness, is it possible to let greatness unite us?”

The first episode of the series dropped on Wednesday and features insight from Jemele Hill, Sarah Spain, Sabreena Merchant and several others, as well as interviews with players and coaches with direct insight to both Clark and Reese.

In addition to focusing on Clark and Reese specifically, the show will also explore other popular rivalries and how they helped shape their respective sports.

Related: Former NBA All-Star Explains Indiana Fever’s Biggest Caitlin Clark Mistake