5-time WNBA All-Star Disrespects Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham in 'Beauty' Rant

Former WNBA player Angel McCoughtry took unnecessary shots at several Indiana Fever players when talking about the importance of beauty in the league.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and guard Caitlin Clark (22) stand next to each other. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former WNBA player Angel McCoughtry managed to disrespect three Indiana Fever players when speaking about the role beauty plays in the league during her Thursday appearance on the "Get To The Point" podcast.

"In the WNBA, if you look pretty [it can play a role in success]; you might not be the best player. Because I went to a conference — everybody loved Indiana, they loved Caitlin Clark — I said, 'How many of you know Kelsey Mitchell?' None of them raised their hand. She's the best player on that team," McCoughtry, who was a five-time All-Star during her 21-season WNBA career, said.

She was then asked whether she thought Clark was pretty, and she began laughing without offering any additional verbal response.

McCoughtry then said, "Let's use Sophie Cunningham for an example: She's pretty. Now, she averages 9 points per game; she has an Adidas shoe deal... It's the visibility, right? She did some drama on the court; she's got the visibility. But not the best player you've ever seen.

"So in the women's game, is it really about how good you are, or about the visibility, how pretty you are?" McCoughtry continued. "Looks play a part in our sport."

After Terrell Owens said that beauty can get a player in the door but can't make them stay in a professional sport, McCoughtry said, "But what you're saying is what's happening in our game: the attitude. You're beautiful, you got this attitude, now you got this million followers. You get on the brand. So that's what's happening. So I think that's the part where, let's zip it back to who is good in this league. Give them some shine!"

Angel McCoughtry believes beauty can play a big part in your success in the WNBA:

“I went to a conference. Everybody loved Indiana, they love Caitlin Clark. I said ‘How many of you know Kelsey Mitchell?’ none of them raised their hand. She’s the best player on that team…”

(via… pic.twitter.com/7aCCWeHnro

— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) November 6, 2026

Angel McCoughtry Rant Didn't Need Any Indiana Fever Player Mentions

McCoughtry's rant has gone viral, with one clip amassing over a million views on Friday. And most of the responses are frustrated Fever fans about the unnecessary shots she took.

For one, regardless of whether one agrees with her broader point, she could have made it without naming any of the Fever players. She especially didn't need to mention Caitlin Clark or Kelsey Mitchell, as wheat she said about them didn't even really factor into her overall argument.

She definitely didn't need to throw in that Mitchell is the best player in Indiana's roster, which has many fans irked. And her commentary on both players' looks was thinly veiled disrespect.

What's more, McCoughtry didn't even mention what the "conference" she supposedly attended was about. If it had anything to do with women's basketball, there's no way that a group of people didn't know who Mitchell was. And if didn't have anything to do with women's basketball, why was it relevant in her argument?

It might take McCoughtry some time to live this one down.