Angel Reese Bluntly Dismisses Reporter Who Revisited Her Viral Comment on WNBA Viewership and ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’

Angel Reese has been one of the most polarizing figures in women’s basketball since her time at LSU and her battles with another polarizing player, Caitlin Clark.

Reese and Clark have been the subject of comparisons and discussions since Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 Women’s NCAA Basketball Championship. Reese and Clark also happened to be a part of the same 2024 WNBA draft class, further advancing discussion about the two players, which again came into effect at one of Reese’s press conferences.

Angel Reese Dismisses Question About Her Previous Claim On Clark’s Impact on Women’s Basketball

Angel Reese has always been someone who shares her thoughts and lets everyone know what she’s thinking and how she feels. She did exactly that last season when she told a media scrum that “the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not because of one person (Caitlin Clark), it’s because of me too.”

At her preseason press conference with the Chicago Sky, a reporter decided to ask Reese about her “powerful statement” she made last season. Reese quickly dismissed the reporter by stating “next question,” appearing to want to move on from the statement and any questions surrounding it.

After her statement last year, Reese would back up her talk as she would go on to be a WNBA All-Star as well as an All-WNBA Rookie Team member. Reese would also go on to set WNBA records in her rookie season as she was a double-double machine and a beast on the boards.

However, Reese is constantly being compared with Clark, who ended up winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. Reese will look to separate herself from Clark ahead of their sophomore season, with a much-anticipated matchup between her Chicago Sky and Clark’s Indiana Fever to tip off the 2025-26 WNBA season.

Angel Reese Eyeing All-Defensive Team in Her Second Year

Angel Reese got a taste of WNBA accolades last season, being named an All-Star and to the All-Rookie team, but she doesn’t want to stop there. In her preseason press conference, Reese was asked about her focus for her second year in the WNBA, to which she mentioned becoming more versatile and playing on the perimeter while continuing to bang in the paint.

Reese also mentioned a very specific goal she was hoping to achieve, as she said, “I want to be on an All-Defensive team this year. The best players in this league are the fours (power forwards), and I take that personally.”

Based on her answer, it seems like defense will be a main focus for Reese this upcoming season. She is coming off winning Defensive Player of the Year in Unrivaled and will look to carry that over to the 2025 WNBA season.