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

The rivalry betwixt Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continues to ignite the sports world.

Clark committed a flagrant foul against Reese earlier this period during the Indiana Fever's archetypal 2025 matchup with the Chicago Sky. The on-court feud betwixt the 2 hoops stars dates backmost to their clip astatine the assemblage hoops level.

Over the past mates of years, countless sports figures person debated whether the rivalry is beneficial. Orlando Magic guardant Jonathan Isaac said helium yet believes it helps bring attraction to women's basketball.

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Feb 12, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guardant Jonathan Isaac (1) warms up earlier the crippled against the Charlotte Hornets astatine Kia Center. (Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

"I deliberation it's genuinely large for basketball. Obviously, the crushed it's being pitted similar this is due to the fact that it's large for TV. It sells tickets," Isaac told Fox News Digital connected behalf of his Christian apparel marque UNITUS.

According to the company's authoritative website, UNITUS' ngo "is to animate and empower radical to unrecorded successful greater unity, freedom, strength, and purpose."

Isaac acknowledged the extracurricular factors that are often associated with the Clark-Reese rivalry, but helium said it each boils down to what takes spot connected the hoops court.

Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic looks connected during a crippled against the Boston Celtics astatine Amway Center connected Jan. 23, 2023, successful Orlando, Florida.  (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

"Some things I bash deliberation get retired of manus with immoderate of the commentary connected the achromatic vs. the black. I recognize there's nuance to that and there's a world to that arsenic well. But, I deliberation astatine the basal level it's hoops and rivalries are bully for basketball. I deliberation it's been astonishing for women's sports. Because of the rivalry, due to the fact that of Angel Reese, due to the fact that of Caitlin Clark… [there's been an uptick successful the] involvement successful women's hoops that wasn't wholly determination before. I'm blessed for that. I privation to spot it play out. I privation to spot them proceed to turn their careers and beryllium the champion pistillate hoops players they tin be."

Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark (22) and Chicago Sky guardant Angel Reese (5) shingle hands earlier the crippled astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse.  (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

Reese acceptable the WNBA grounds for consecutive games with a double-double past season. Clark received WNBA rookie of the twelvemonth honors past play aft averaging 19.2 per contention and appearing successful each 40 regular play games. 

The Fever's crippled against the Washington Mystics connected Wednesday marked the archetypal clip successful Clark's WNBA that she was listed arsenic inactive. Clark watched the Fever's 83-77 nonaccomplishment from the bench. She is expected to miss the adjacent 2 weeks owed to a near quadriceps strain, the squad said.

Isaac is acquainted with overcoming injuries. He tore his near ACL successful Aug. 2020. In March 2023, helium had country to repair a torn near adductor muscle. He was past forced to beryllium retired for the remainder of 2022-23 season. 

Isaac was yet capable to bounce backmost and appeared successful 71 games this past season. 

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Isaac said he's dealt with an onslaught of injuries passim his NBA career. "The ACL wounded was expected to beryllium a one-year (setback). But one, I had complications. Once everything got patched up, for immoderate crushed my hamstring… there's a musculus called the biceps femoris and I tore that and for immoderate crushed my hamstring wasn't getting stronger, but my genu was and my quad was. And past successful the midst of that I tore my close hamstring portion I was sprinting, due to the fact that I was overcompensating. I came backmost to the league for 11 games and past tore my groin.

Isaac credited his faith, family, and enactment strategy for helping get past the drawstring of injuries.

"(I) was capable to get done it. My religion is simply a immense portion of that, the radical I person astir me… my wife, my religion family, conscionable everyone encouraging maine to conscionable instrumentality with it. And this past play I was capable to play successful 70 games."

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Isaac, who famously stood for the nationalist anthem portion his different colleagues knelt earlier a crippled successful the bubble successful 2020, reportedly agreed to a declaration hold successful July 2024.

Isaac and the Magic agreed to a five-year, $84 cardinal declaration extension, ESPN reported astatine the time. The woody ties the guardant with the Magic done the 2028-29 season.

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