Oct 19, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) speaks to the referee while playing the Golden State Valkyries in the fourth quarter of game two of the 2026 WNBA Finals at Chase Center. © David Gonzales-Imagn Images Michael Kobrinsky Tue, October 20, 2026 at 4:43 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will be forever linked through their careers. They have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but many fans feel strongly about one and discount the other. The latest fan to join in on this action? An ex-NFL linebacker who could not praise Reese's masterful WNBA Finals performance without including a subtle jab at Clark.
The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 on Oct. 19 to tie the WNBA Finals 1-1. Reese put together a monster, historic performance of 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
At 24, she became the youngest player in league finals history to record a 30-point, 15-rebound double-double. The Dream star is also just the third player in WNBA history to accomplish this feat in the WNBA Finals. She put Atlanta on her back and led her squad to its first-ever finals win in franchise history.
Emmanuel Acho played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 and 2014 NFL campaigns, but his post-playing career took off as a sports analyst and author.
He commented on Reese's all-time finals performance in his latest episode of "Speakeasy."
"What Angel Reese has done in her brilliance has been absolutely undeniable … She's quite literally putting up historical performances. If you remove that other girl from the conversations of Angel Reese, Angel Reese has lived up to the hype in every single way," said Acho.
Acho did not name Clark, but the reference appears to be to the Indiana Fever star. Reese and Clark started their professional careers after the 2024 draft, and both players have many fans who have followed them since their collegiate careers. Both parties have debated who the better player is for years.
However, some WNBA fans are accusing Acho of switching up his stance on Reese after her success in the league over her first three seasons. Fans went to X, formerly known as Twitter, to give their thoughts on Acho's comments.
@Thanos876 did not hold back on Acho with a blunt message .
"[expletive] this guy. He's been a hater from the jump," the account posted.
@Mikedub995 remembers Acho's past negative comments toward Reese and will not let him switch sides easily. "You don't even sound like you believe what you're saying. Stay over there dog, we been knew!!," the account commented.
@AbeFroman thinks Acho is just giving Reese her flowers for " clicks and clout ."
"I called this & knew it would happen. Some of Angel Reese's loudest critics who couldn't get enough of trashing her early on have come around—and in the greatest irony of all—are now using her for clicks and clout. Can't make this up. Where was the love when she needed it?," the account wrote.
@Maclovesit knows Reese thrives on her haters and, ironically, poked fun at Acho for becoming a Reese fan.
"Need new haters, all the old ones are fans now," the account posted.
@RobMartin_7 simply had two words for Acho. "He's sick!!"
If Reese wins the 2026 championship, Acho might have many more fans calling him out for his previous stance in the Reese-Clark debate.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
Source: Sports
