WNBA
Before Saturday night’s WNBA All-Star game, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark had never been teammates at a high level. Now, they’re supportive of each other while wearing the same jersey. During the first half of Saturdays mega-exhibition, Clark dribbled up the court and had a semi-open look from well beyond the perimeter.
That’s been Clark’s range in college and the WNBA to knock down long-range shots. In preparation of the Indiana Fever star pulling up from 3-point range, Reese got out of her seat on the bench and held up three fingers in excitement. Clark did not see Reese and opted to pass the ball instead to a teammate, which made Reese sit down.
Clark and Reese were teammates at a high level for the first time on Saturday night
Reese jumped out of her seat for a possible 3-point shot from Clark during the All-Star game
Clark and Reese’s rivalry has been well-documented at the college and professional levels. Aside from the 2023 national championship game between Reese’s LSU and Clark’s Iowa, the Tigers and Hawkeyes also met in the Elite Eight earlier this year, with Iowa winning ending LSU’s repeat title attempt in what ended up being Reese’s final college game.
Clark was drafted six spots higher than Reese at April’s WNBA Draft, with the pair already facing off three times as professionals. Clark’s Indiana Fever won the first two matchups, with Reese’s Chicago Sky coming out victorious in the most-recent matchup. Those games were full of tense moments between Clark and a Sky player. On June 1, Clark was body-checked by Chennedy Carter, in a move dubbed by fans to not be in good faith with basketball.
Carter refused to answer any questions on the matter in a post-game press conference, but did double down online stating ‘beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man’ on Threads. On June 16, Reese committed a flagrant foul to Clark when the former LSU star missed a block attempt and swatted Clark in the head with her arm, sending her rival to the ground in pain. Reese also bad-mouthed Clark and her team to the press, stating they had a ‘special whistle’. However, it appears whatever bad blood exists between Clark and Reese is only as opponents.
