Caitlin Clark Leak Sparks Outrage And Solidarity Among Fans

On April 22, 2024, basketball star Angel Reese made a cryptic post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), writing “Protect young women in sports!!!”. While her message was ambiguous, many believe Reese was reacting to the unauthorized posting of altered and explicit photos of fellow basketball players Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers that had surfaced online the previous day.

Reese retweeted a supporter who stated that people need to listen when “black women say ‘HEY THIS IS HAPPENING…'” in reference to Reese previously stating she had been “sexualized”. Though not explicitly stated, Reese’s liked posts suggest her call for protection was aimed at defending Clark and Bueckers from the leaked doctored images.

On April 21, 2024, doctored and explicit photos purporting to be of basketball stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were allegedly shared across social media platforms like X and Reddit. Many of the posts containing or linking to the unauthorized images were quickly removed for violating rules against non-consensual intimate media.

A Reddit community dedicated to Bueckers was even banned entirely due to sharing these types of edited photos of the UConn player without her consent. While the authenticity could not be confirmed, the images began trending as they spread rapidly online.

In response, fans of women’s college basketball and the WNBA rallied to support Clark and Bueckers. They flooded social media with positive posts, videos, and real photos of the two stars in an effort to make the explicit altered images harder to find through searches.

Many condemned the alleged leaked photos and thanked those sharing uplifting content instead of the unauthorized edited images. Supporters praised this act of solidarity to protect the players’ images online.

Reese herself had previously claimed to be the victim of “fake AI pictures” being created and spread of her in March 2024, calling it “crazy and weird”. After her final game at LSU, she had also emotionally stated that she had been “sexualized” and received “death threats” throughout her career.

With the word “UNAPOLOGETIC” tattooed on her arm, Reese has been outspoken about inspiring young girls to be themselves despite the adversity and negativity they may face, especially as prominent Black women in sports. Her post appears to be an extension of her desire to protect the images and treatment of herself and fellow young female athletes.