Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will once again be in the spotlight during All-Star Weekend as they face off against the U.S. Olympic team.
They will join forces for the first time on the WNBA All-Star team after being rivals in college. Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa team to win the national championship in 2023, but Iowa got revenge by eliminating LSU in the Elite Eight this past year.
Amidst the hype surrounding their entry into the WNBA, both players have proven themselves against the league’s top talent, highlighting their impact on the sport beyond just basketball.
“I think it goes beyond women’s basketball. Across all women’s sports, there’s a lot of interest and support,” Clark remarked. “Women’s basketball, from college to the WNBA, has been at the forefront, and rightfully so. The level of talent is impressive.”
Despite facing physical challenges on the court and external distractions in their rookie season, Clark and Reese have thrived.
“I told Angel at the draft that the league relies on players like her to perform well,” said WNBA union president and Seattle Storm center Nneka Ogwumike. “She understood that success wouldn’t come easily, and she’s handled it admirably.”
The duo has contributed to the league’s high ratings and attendance in the early part of the season, continuing their success from college. Clark became the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader in Division I, while Reese won an NCAA championship with LSU.
Their impressive performances in their rookie season potentially increased the WNBA’s value for its new media rights deal worth $2.2 billion over 11 years.
“They are handling it the best that they can, and it’s always good that they can back it up,” said Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson. “Being successful at what they do is important because if they weren’t good, nobody would want to watch them play.”
Reese currently leads the league in rebounding, and Clark leads in assists. Clark recently set a new league record with 19 assists in a single game against Dallas, Indiana’s last game before the Olympic break. Reese has already broken the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles in a season with 15.
“I never imagined I would be playing in the All-Star Game as a rookie,” said Reese, who hit a halfcourt shot at the end of practice.
Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, and Skylar Diggins-Smith were among the college players who had significant hype going into the 2013 WNBA draft. While they have had successful WNBA careers, they did not make the same impact as Clark, Reese, and the rest of this rookie class have so far.
“We saw their potential, so why wouldn’t it carry over?” Griner said. “They put in the hard work and they prove themselves on the court, not just in the media. I’m just glad that their doubters have been proven wrong.”
