Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark’s college rivalry has translated well in the WNBA, attracting new fans and leading to record-breaking game attendance and TV viewership.
The two super rookies have lived up to the hype, breaking several WNBA records in their first year.
Clark, the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 overall pick, won the WNBA Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in the MVP voting. Reese, the No. 7 pick of the Chicago Sky, prevented Clark from becoming the unanimous Rookie of the Year winner by receiving one vote.
While their intense rivalry has divided WNBA fans, Reese also wishes that one day, they could unite them by becoming teammates.
“Me and Caitlin have been playing against each other since we were kids,” Reese said in the Wall Street Journal’s “The Job Interview” Series. “It’s just a full circle moment of how women are viewed when it comes to trash-talking, and it’s okay in men’s sport.”
“So we’re going to normalize that in women’s sports as well. It’s just super competitive. I think we’re two great competitors. We brought a lot of fans to this league, and I thought, we’re going to continue to do that, and one day, hopefully we can be teammates.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5)
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
But for now, their rivalry, which has drawn comparison to the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry in the 1980s that skyrocketed the NBA’s popularity, is what the WNBA needs to sustain their growth after securing their richest media rights deal to date — 11-year worth close to $3 billion, per ESPN.
“When I think about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and me. Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball,” Johnson wrote on X on June 24. “Caitlin and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite Eight games were the highest viewership records at the time.”
“Larry and I heightened the NBA’s overall popularity. The Lakers and Celtics sold out arenas throughout the league and increased television viewership exponentially. The higher viewership numbers led to the NBA signing significantly larger TV contracts, which then led to higher salaries for the players.”
“Caitlin and Angel are now doing the same thing, selling out arenas and increasing the viewership. They have taken women’s basketball by storm, and with expiring TV deals on the horizon, the WNBA is now in a position to negotiate higher TV contracts and increase salaries for all of the talented players.”
Johnson and Bird started as fierce rivals but turned into lifetime friends. It’s not far-fetched to think Reese and Clark are headed down that path after Reese’s revealing statement about her longtime rival.
