“I hate (sports sense) Angel Reese”: Caitlin Clark fan Dave Portnoy reveals true feelings on brilliant ‘Mebounds’ trademark decision

Barstool Sports' founder, Dave Portnoy, isn't a big fan of Angel Reese. However, the business side of Portnoy couldn't help but praise Reese's recent smart move. The American businessman praised the Chicago Sky after Reebok revealed her first signature shoe.

Reese was brutally mocked by WNBA fans for allegedly adding her rebounds by rebounding her misses, and was trolled with the "mebounds" term. However, the WNBA star made a brilliant chess move and quickly trademarked the term.

Fast forward to a month later, the shoe brand unveiled the colorway of Reese's debut signature shoe: the Angel Reese 1 "Mebounds." Impressed with the Sky star's brilliant move, Portnoy, who is a big Caitlin Clark fan, gave Reese her flowers on his post on X.

"I hate (sports sense) Angel Reese. Hate her," Portnoy wrote. "That's how much it pains me to admit how brilliant it was for her team to trademark Mebounds and make it her thing. Brilliant. I hate how brilliant it is."

Reese's "Mebounds" colorway is set to drop during the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday. The WNBA star wore her first signature shoe during the shootaround on Friday ahead of the All-Star Game.

Angel Reese's debut sneaker would be marked for her move to turning criticism into capital. We are yet to see how the market receives Reese's first signature shoe. What we already know, and what Gilbert Arenas would also agree with, is that Reese is one player who knows how to sell a product.

Dave Portnoy slams Joy Taylor's take on Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark's fame

Earlier this month, Joyn Taylor made headlines for her take on Caitlin Clark's global fame. The TV host suggested that Angel Reese was the reason for Clark's skyrocketing fame.

"I'm a storyteller. I think storylines are so f******* important and I think you need villains, and I think you need heroes. You need s*** to sell." "It upset white men to watch this strong, winning, unapologetic Black woman be in Caitlin's face. They still cling to it. It's now spun to this whole thing where Caitlin's better than Angel and blah, blah, blah."

Alluding to the viral Reese's "You Can't See Me" celebration against Clark during the 2023 NCAA National Championship game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the LSU Tigers, Taylor suggested that Clark's fame took off from there.

"We would not be talking about Caitlin Clark the way that we do if it wasn't for that moment with Angel Reese. I will die on this hill...I will fight this war."

Portnoy dismissed Taylor's opinion as foolish and instead said the world didn't know Reese before that moment.

"The dumbest most ridiculous rant of all time," Portnoy said. "Nobody outside hardcore WNBA fans and LSU fans would know who Angel was it weren’t for her riding Caitlin’s coattails. It’s made her a fortune so kudos to her but this is the dumbest take I’ve ever heard."

Regardless of the conflicting views, Clark and Reese have become the flagbearers for a revolutionized face of the WNBA, and perhaps that's all that matters.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer