Heisman Trophy winner calls for suspension of Angel Reese: “Not good for the game”

Former Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart lashed out at Angel Reese after the Chicago Sky rookie struck Caitlin Clark in the head with an intentional foul on Sunday.

Reese tried to defend Clark late in the third quarter as the Indiana Fever star passed her. It was a seemingly easy layup until it wasn’t.

Reese struck close to the ball, but hit her opponent on the side of the head. The blow sent Clark sprawling to the ground.

The blow to the head resulted in a foul, which was upgraded to an intentional foul 1 after a video review.

Shocking. Angelo Reese and Sky are making Angel Reese and Sky things. By the way, Caitlin is cooking them. #caitlinclark pic.twitter.com/4qeWZLsiHZ

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 16, 2024

RELATED: Angel Reese whines after being charged with flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark: ‘Some people got a special whistle’

Matt Leinart calls on WNBA to suspend Angel Reese

There are two sides that fans are flocking to after seeing Angel Reese’s blatant foul.

Those who defend her and say it’s just “tough basketball,” those who actually saw the video can see that she wasn’t even three feet away from blocking the shot.

Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart appears to be on the side of those who believe Reese’s behavior is outrageous.

“Angel Reese should be suspended. Period,” he wrote on social media. “Not good for the game.”

Reese’s fans quickly hit back, calling Leinart “soft” for that comment. But if you want to be a wannabe Bill Laimbeer player like Reese, people are going to start calling big fouls and demanding suspensions.

Maybe the trick here is to defend or block strikes better so that you don’t have to resort to forearm slams or hip checks without the ball to beat your opponent.

RELATED: Angel Reese takes strong anti-paparazzi stance, claims teammates were ‘harassed’

Reese says Caitlin Clark gets a special pipe

In post-game comments, Angel Reese said Clark benefited from a “special whistle” throughout the game.

And she defied criticism for the blatant foul.

“I can’t control the referees,” she said. “They had a big impact on the game tonight. … I always try to get the ball. But you’re going to play this clip 20 times by Monday.”

“When I watch the film again, I see a lot of calls that weren’t made,” Reese added. “I guess some people have a special whistle.”

Reese often loves to have it both ways, wanting to be praised for her hard play on the court (even if it’s excessive physical contact), but then sneaking back to the locker room to sulk about the refereeing.

Wants to be the villain, but also compassion.

Clark responded very diplomatically, saying Angel Reese’s foul was “just part of basketball.”

The same goes for suspensions for players who lose control of their emotions and take their feelings out on opponents. The league should take a closer look at the attacks during Indiana Fever games before their number one star is sidelined by a serious injury.