Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese currently have one of sports’ best rivalries, which began in college and now has garnered the same attention in the WNBA.
Angel Reese outdueled Caitlin Clark in their latest WNBA meeting, continuing another chapter in their heated rivalry that has captivated, and divided fans nationwide.
Reese scored a season-high 25 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Chicago Sky to an 88–87 victory over the Indiana Fever in front of a sellout crowd of 9,872 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on June 23. Clark finished with 17 points and a
franchise-record 13 assists but watched her team squander a 15-point second-half lead.
The games between the two young stars polarized fans on
social media sports talk shows.
The conversation reached a
fever pitch when Reese was called for a flagrant foul after hitting Clark on the head during their WNBA matchup on June 16. The Fever’s 91–83 victory averaged
2.25 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on any network since 2001, according to
CBS Sports.
Clark has tried to downplay the rivalry with Reese.
“I’m pretty sure that the only people who view this as a rivalry is all of you,” Clark
said at a press conference after the Fever beat the Atlanta Dream on June 20. “For us, it’s just a game of basketball. That’s what it is. If it’s going to help move the game forward, then absolutely. That’s amazing. That’s what it should be. People can talk about it.”
The two young stars first attracted national attention when Reese taunted Clark with a “
you can’t see me“ gesture and tapped her ring finger when LSU beat Iowa in the 2023 National Championship game in women’s basketball. The ”you can’t see me” gesture was popularized by WWE star John Cena to show opponents that he was too fast or elusive for them to see him coming. The pointing to her ring finger was supposed to symbolize the championship rings she and her teammates would soon receive for the title.
Clark got a measure of revenge when Iowa beat LSU 94–87 in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament on April 1 before the Hawkeyes to South Carolina in the title game.
Both Clark and Reese first garnered attention as two of the top players in the history of women’s college basketball.
Clark finished her
college career as the top scorer in the history of men’s and women’s college basketball with 3,951 points and was a two-time NCAA women’s basketball Player of the Year. She finished with the highest career scoring average (28.42) in Division I history, surpassing Patricia Hoskins of Mississippi Valley State.
Last season as a senior, Clark
averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game, leading Division I in scoring and assists. The Hawkeyes retired her No. 22 jersey number, making her the third player in program history to receive the honor.
Clark was the
No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, and she has been a boon to the league in terms of attendance and TV ratings. For example, the Washington Mystics moved their June 7 game against Indiana to Capital One Arena, which has a capacity of 20,356, from their normal home, the Entertainment and Sports Arena, which can host 4,200 fans.
Reese also had a stellar career that began at the University of Maryland, where she played in 15 games and averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds, earning a spot on the Big 10 All-Freshman team.
Reese then transferred to LSU, where her popularity soared.
Reese had about 70,000
followers on Instagram when she came to Baton Rouge, but her brand rose with the Tigers. Entering the 2022–23 NCAA Tournament, she had nearly 500,000 followers. Those numbers climbed to more than 1 million following LSU’s first National Championship that season.
Last season, as a senior at LSU, she led the SEC in
scoring (18.6 ppg) and rebounding (13.4 rpg) for the second season in a row. She became the first player since Wendy Scholtens from Vanderbilt in 1989–90 to lead the league in both stats over consecutive seasons.
In addition, Reese
finished the season with 76 assists, 62 steals, and 32 blocks. Her 441 total rebounds rank No. 7 in program history. She scored in double-figures in all 67 of her games at LSU and led the nation with 5.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Reese has 61 career double-doubles—the second most in LSU history
Now, Reese and Clark are not only battling with new teams in the WNBA, but they are also two of the favorites to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year. Clark is currently the favorite to win the award, according to
FanDuel.Both players are off to a solid start.
Reese has managed a double-double in eight consecutive games, extending her WNBA rookie record. She is the first rookie since A'ja Wilson with 25-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in a single game.
Clark has also been stellar, averaging 17 points, 13 assists, and 6 rebounds, despite taking several hard fouls, which has angered her fan base.
Reese said the attention that the WNBA is getting with her rivalry with Clark is a positive step for the game.
“It’s good for the game, good for women’s basketball, but also good for women’s sports,” Reese said after the latest game against Indiana. “You see NBA players, rappers, legends that played in the league for a great long time come out and show support. You know everybody’s watching right now.”
She continued: “I think this is one of the most important times right now, and we just continue to keep putting on. I think both teams tonight did an amazing job putting on a show. It was fun. I had a great time. I’m sure the other team had a great time.”
