Legendary sports announcer Bob Costas is calling out the hypocrisy within the WNBA ... saying fans are choosing when to be outraged based on race -- pointing to a "Black on Black" incident involving Angel Reese to make his case.
A hard foul on Caitlin Clark resulted in a ton of backlash toward Chicago Sky player Chennedy Carter over the weekend ... with many claiming opponents are going too hard on the rookie sensation.
Look how hyped Angel Reese is on the bench after Caitlin Clark takes a cheap shot 😭 pic.twitter.com/GyeG1Q6OhZ
— Emo Jimmy (@WheelerJaylen) June 1, 2024
Costas says that energy was nowhere to be found for Reese earlier this season ... when Connecticut Sun player Alyssa Thomas grabbed her by the neck and pulled her to the court, resulting in a Flagrant 2 foul and an ejection.
"The reason why that doesn't spark as much conversation isn't just that Caitlin Clark is a bigger star than Alyssa Thomas," Costas said on CNN on Monday. "It's because it's a Black on Black incident and you don't have that dynamic that people can comment on, yes, but also exaggerate and make the entire story sometimes."
Alyssa Thomas was ejected after a hard foul on Angel Reese. pic.twitter.com/CxJNDkfePd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 26, 2024
Costas explained he's seen the way Clark has been treated in every other sport over the years -- rookies get bullied all the time for being newbies, but people are upset because the former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar is white.
Cari Champion -- who was also part of the conversation -- backed Costas' words ... saying folks simply didn't care when "women of a certain color" were beating up on each other since the WNBA launched in 1997.
Clark's presence has put a huge spotlight on the W ... sparking debate left and right.
Pat McAfee even joined the conversation by praising the Indiana Fever star -- referring to her as a "white bitch" in the process -- which pretty much adds to Costas' point.