The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has become one of the most compelling stories in women’s basketball, starting from the collegiate level and into the professional realm. What stared as a friendly-but-fierce college rivalry has evolved into a media whirlwind storyline in the WNBA.
How The Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Feud Started
College
To trace the origin on the Clark-Reese rivalry, you have to look back to the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship between Reese’s LSU Tigers and Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes.
During the final minutes of the game with LSU in sight of victory, Reese followed Clark around the court and gestured the “you can’t see me” celebration — a taunt popularized by professional wrestler John Cena. She then pointed to her ring finger to signal LSU capturing the Women’s NCAA title.
While some criticized Reese’s actions as unsportsmanlike, many came to her defense, pointing out that Clark made the same gesture earlier in the tournament without any ridicule. This incident highlighted the divide in sports, often driven by race and gender, fueling the widespread coverage of women’s sports.
WNBA
The Clark–Reese rivalry carried over into the WNBA. Their contrasting playing styles and off-court personalities have drawn a broader audience to the league, contributing to the WNBA’s growing global appeal.
The Indiana Fever selected Clark with the first overall pick, while Reese was chosen seventh by the Chicago Sky, setting up must-see matchups during the 2024 season.
Reese ignited the discourse around her and Clark’s rivalry when she stated the influx of views on the WNBA is “not just because of 1 person”, but because of her too. She was slammed for her divisive stance, instead of embracing the collaborative effort it takes to grow the women’s game.
Media pundits and analysts have often compared their feud to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as their rivalries are eerily similar to Clark and Reese’s. While others believe their rivalry was fabricated and is now “dead“.
Mutual Respect Between The Two Stars
Despite the intense media portrayal of their rivalry, both Clark and Reese have expressed mutual respect for each other’s talents and contributions to the sport.
Reese acknowledged that while social media amplifies their competition, fans can also take it too far and pit the two of them against each other. But she details how the two have a long history of playing against each other, dating back to their childhood AAU battles.
Reese acknowledged that her and Clark don’t have any “hard feelings” toward each other. While the two stars may have mutual respect for each other off the court, they will once again duke it out on the court when the Chicago Sky visit the Indiana Fever on May 17.
