Angel Reese urged to follow in Caitlin Clark's footsteps amid off-court debate

"Pump it Up" rapper-turned-podcaster Joe Budden suggested that WNBA rookie star Angel Reese should take notes from the way Caitlin Clark lays out of the public eye during a recent episode of the "Joe Budden Podcast".

In episode 766 of the Joe Budden Podcast [JBP] entitled "Good Kid, Good City," Budden and his five co-hosts weighed in on the Chicago Sky star's recent appearance on MTV’s Wild 'N Out, hosted by Nick Cannon . When asked if he had seen her on the show, Budden joked: "I've seen Angel Reese wildin' out, but I don't know if I saw her on Wild N' Out." The joke would set the tone for a critical conversation about Reese’s handling of fame and her presence in the public eye.

Budden stated that Reese should take a step back from the spotlight. "Angel Reese won’t sit her --- down," he continued. In addition to her appearances in fashion shows, the Paris Olympics , and TV shows, Reese has also provided fans with a further look into her life through her new podcast, "Unapologetically Angel," which she started after season-ending wrist surgery.

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Acknowledging that it might come across as a man telling a woman what to do, he jumped ahead of the point and said:" "It’s going to sound like I’m telling a woman what to do. But I ain’t."

The conversation shifted to Reese’s unique position as a 22-year-old with over 4 million Instagram followers and lucrative endorsement deals. But Budden still emphasized the importance of strategic visibility. "She should probably have somebody in place to let her know. Whoever she got in her ear is telling her to go pop up everywhere. That’s not what Caitlin Clark is doing," drawing a comparison to Reese’s college basketball rival.

Budden said: "Not to make it a race thing, but we’re just on some star rookie ---- now. All season you put yourself in the same box as Caitlin Clark but it’s more than basketball. I wish Angel Reese nothing but the best. Great season and rookie campaign."

While Clark doesn’t host a podcast, the league Rookie of the Year has remained in the public eye since the Connecticut Sun eliminated the Indiana Fever in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs. Most recently, Clark was spotted attending the Indiana Pacers preseason game alongside her teammate Kelsey Mitchell on Monday night.

While some WNBA players will play overseas and others spend their offseason playing in the upcoming Unrivaled League , Clark is scheduled to participate in a pro-am golf event in November at the LPGA's Annika Invitational. She also spent part of the WNBA's Olympic break in July in Mexico with Fever teammates, including Lexie Hull and her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery.

Despite her active presence in public events, Clark has kept relatively quiet about her personal life and opinions, focusing more on her athletic engagements rather than public commentary. Reese, on the other hand, has elected to live by the theme of her podcast, being "unapologetically" herself.