PHOENIX — Where Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese go, attention follows.
The rivalry between Clark and Reese captivated the nation during their collegiate days at Iowa and LSU, respectively, and the well-deserved hype has followed the two superstars into the WNBA.
Clark, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever, and Reese, who was taken with the No. 7 pick by the Chicago Sky, have been pitted against each other throughout their careers – whether by their devoted fanbases or in the media – but a white flag has been raised temporarily. They were both named to the 2024 WNBA All-Star team, becoming the first pair of rookies to earn a nod since 2014. After years of going head-to-head against each other, Clark and Reese will team up for the first time in their careers.
“Everybody can wear their ‘get along’ shirts together for one day at least,” Reese joked Friday ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game, Saturday in Phoenix. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’s super rare to be here as a rookie and then to have two of us is really great overall,” Clark added on Friday. “The attention that we bring… (carries) to everybody else. I think it’s going to continue to help grow the game.”
Clark and Reese are no strangers to shattering records. Earlier this week, Clark set a WNBA record for single-game assists, dishing 19 during the Fever’s game against the Dallas Wings. Reese set a record for most consecutive double-doubles earlier this month with 15, the most since Candace Parker had 12 in a row between 2009 and 2010. Reese leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.7), and Clark leads in assists per game (8.2). And both are No. 1 and 2 in the WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings, although the order depends on who you ask.
It’s one thing to catch people’s attention, and it’s another to keep it. Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, who will coach Reese, Clark and Team WNBA in the All-Star Game against the U.S. Olympic team, said she “loves and appreciates their rivalry.”
“I love what they’ve done for the women’s game from the collegiate level until now, and it’s working,” Miller said. “It was only a matter of time. Great narratives. Great storylines. But now the bottom line comes down to one thing: it’s about basketball, and its about wins. Both of these young ladies and their teams, people don’t want to face them down the stretch. Now it’s starting to click. It’s clicking in Chicago and it’s starting to click in Indiana.”
Despite being on the same team, the competitiveness between Reese and Clark is still there. Clark was known for her logo threes in Iowa, but it was Reese who defeated her in the half court shot competition following a Team WNBA practice at the Footprint Center on Friday. “I love half court shots. … I finally got mine and got my $100. So I’m feeling good going into tomorrow,” Reese said.
Caitlin Clark opts out of 3-point contest. Here’s why
It was a shock to WNBA fans to see Caitlin Clark’s name missing from the list of participants for the 2024 WNBA All-Star 3-point contest. On Friday, the Fever rookie explained that she was invited to compete but ultimately decided to sit out to prioritize the All-Star Game and get some rest.
“I’ve been playing basketball for a year straight,” Clark said. “It’s not an easy thing to just show up and shoot off a rack. It’s not something I’ve done before. It’s not something I’ve had a lot of time to practice. I’ve been helping my team win games. Just enjoying this break. There will be plenty of opportunities for me to do that at some point.”
It’s been a long grind for Clark this year. The 22-year-old wrapped up her college career at Iowa in April, where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Div. I history and led the Hawkeyes to the NCAA title game. Clark was selected with the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft by the Fever on April 15 and made her WNBA debut a month later in May.
“I need a break, and I need to take some time to myself to enjoy what I want to do,” Clark added. “At times that can be tough being in the position that I’m in, but I think it’s going to be healthiest for myself.”
