Angel Reese deleted tweet, explained: Did Sky forward take shot at Caitlin Clark or Charles Barkley in post?

Angel Reese has never shied away from speaking her mind. The current Chicago Sky rookie and former LSU star is always good for a soundbite or two when discussing her game, opponents or the game of women's basketball. 

That has caused mixed reactions from fans. While some thoroughly enjoy how real Reese keeps it, others have been critical of her comments in the past. Regardless of what others think, the first-year WNBA pro hasn't backed down from giving her thoughts and opinions — and she doesn't appear to be anytime soon. 

On Thursday night, Reese stirred up the internet with a post on X, formerly Twitter, that had some edge to it. The cryptic post certainly seemed to be directed at someone, and now everyone is trying to decipher who exactly she was talking about. 

Here is more to know about Reese's deleted tweet and who she may have been taking the dig at. 

MORE: Where Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese rank among WNBA rookies to start 2024 season

Angel Reese tweet

After the Sky defeated the New York Liberty on Thursday, Reese took to social media to take a shot at ... well, someone. 

In a since-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, the Chicago rookie voiced a displeasure about recent comments made about charter flights in the WNBA. 

Angel Reese claps back at Charles Barkley and his comments on players in the WNBA about Caitlin Clark, chartered flights, etc #skytown #WNBA pic.twitter.com/gcktYPPNNF

— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) May 24, 2024

"And that's one getting a WIN in a packed arena, not just cause of one player on our charter flight."

It's unclear why exactly she deleted the post. 

What did Angel Reese say about Caitlin Clark?

One of the first thoughts social media had was that Reese was taking a dig at Fever rookie Caitlin Clark. 

The former Iowa star undoubtedly is helping the growth of the WNBA. Clark wasn't just the biggest name in women's college basketball this past season — she was arguably the biggest name in all of collegiate sports. So her transition to the professional level has led to the league gaining popularity. 

With Clark's fandom, the necessity for charter flights in the WNBA became apparent. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is working on a solution for all 12 teams to no longer fly commercial. Engelbert and the league planned to have every team flying on charter flights by May 21.

MORE: LeBron James speaks on Caitlin Clark's impact on WNBA

So when Reese mentioned charter flights, the connection to Clark was immediately made. However, people may have been jumping the gun on the meaning of her cryptic message.  

What did Charles Barkley say about Caitlin Clark?

Instead of delivering a dig in Clark's direction, it's quite likely that Reese's unidentified shot was actually at Charles Barkley instead. 

The "Inside the NBA" analyst recently spoke about the supposed "hate" surrounding Clark. While players really have not taken any clear slights at the Indiana star, he took a direct shot at the other members of the league, calling them "petty" for not thanking Clark for what she's done for the league. 

"You women out there, ya'll petty, man. Hey, LeBron, you're 100% right on these girls hating on Caitlin Clark. Ya'll petty, girls. I expect men to be petty, because we're the most insecure group in the world... Don't be petty like dudes..." - Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/4MLW2PHzHl

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 23, 2024

"You women out there, ya'll petty, man," Barkley said. "Hey, LeBron, you're 100% right on these girls hating on Caitlin Clark. Ya'll petty, girls. I expect men to be petty, because we're the most insecure group in the world. Y'all should be thanking her for getting y'all private charters. All the money and visibility she's bringing to the WNBA. Don't be petty like dudes."

A number of players pushed back on his comments, stating that there was no pettiness from any players and that they fully support Clark and what she's doing for the game of women's basketball. That includes Chiney Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones, Dearica Hamby, Michaela Onyenwere and Sydney Colson.

Reese's deleted tweet could very well have also been a slight at the NBA Hall of Famer. She may not have called him out directly, but it does not take a genius to put two and two together. 

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark relationship, explained

People have been pitting Reese and Clark against one another ever since the 2023 NCAA women's basketball championship. It was in that game that the LSU star gave the Iowa sensation a taste of her own medicine, using Clark's "you can't see me" taunt to shade her as the Tigers took out the Hawkeyes for the title. 

MORE: Caitlin Clark TV ratings: Tracking WNBA viewership records

Ever since, people have talked about friction between the two — however, neither Clark nor Reese have shown any true animosity towards each other. 

Both spoke about the supposed riff between them during the 2024 March Madness competition. Clark and Reese each denied any hatred towards the other, calling it competitive fire instead. 

"I don't think people realize it's not personal," Reese said. "Once we get out between those lines, if I see you walking down the street, it's like, 'Hey, girl, what's up? Let's hang out.'

"I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don't hate each other. I want everybody to understand that."

Clark echoed Reese's assessment of their relationship soon after the initial comments from the then-LSU forward. 

"There's definitely that competitive fire," Clark told ESPN. "Both of us want to win more than anything, and that's how it should be when you're a competitor and you get into a situation like this, whether it was the national championship, whether it's the Elite Eight.

"I think that's the main similarity is how competitive we are. We both grew up loving this game, and we're going to do anything we can to help our teams win."

Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese stats

The 2024 rookie class in the WNBA entered this season with plenty of hype. Clark and Reese are just two of a plethora of first-year players that dominated in college and have adjusted well to the pros. 

NOH: Cameron Brink has been the WNBA's best rookie through first week of 2024 season

Each team has only played a handful of games so far on the campaign, but here is a look at how Clark and Reese's numbers stack up against one another.