INDIANAPOLIS — It could nonetheless be very early of their respective journeys, however Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark can be tied to at least one one other it doesn’t matter what occurs over the remainder of their careers.
Even earlier than concurrently coming into the WNBA as a part of one of the heralded rookie lessons ever, Clark and Reese — and particularly the aggressive school clashes between their Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers, respectively — performed an enormous function in bringing the ladies’s recreation to a nationwide viewers.
Sunday provided the most recent chapter of their quickly rising rivalry. For the second time in as many conferences in opposition to the Chicago Sky, Clark was hit with a tough foul. This time, it was Reese who caught Clark within the head on a block try, a play that was finally deemed a Flagrant-1 foul.
Whereas it seemingly gained’t create the nationwide firestorm the final flagrant foul in opposition to Clark in a recreation in opposition to the Sky did, it was a watershed second between the 2 in one other recreation that got here all the way down to the wire, a recurring theme in matchups between the pair.
Clark had arguably her greatest recreation within the WNBA, flirting with a triple-double whereas ending with 23 factors, 9 assists and eight rebounds, in addition to a few late clutch performs — together with an help to NaLyssa Smith and a pair of free throws within the ultimate 30 seconds — that helped seal a fifth win of the season for the Fever (5-10) and fourth within the final six video games.
Reese left her mark as properly, scoring 11 factors to go along with 13 rebounds (5 of them had been offensive), and 5 assists.
After the sport, although, there was just one matter to debate. After cursory first inquiries to open their pressers, the second query for each Clark and Reese postgame was concerning the flagrant foul.
“What’s going by way of my thoughts is I must make these two free throws,” Clark mentioned when requested about Reese’s flagrant foul. “That’s all I’m serious about. It’s simply a part of basketball. It’s what it’s. She’s attempting to make a play on the ball and get the block however, yeah, it occurs.”
Reese, in the meantime, was far shorter together with her response, calling the foul a “basketball play” and stating that she was going for the ball. Neither needed to make a giant deal about it, however that gained’t cease the take practice from taking place the tracks — and probably derailing girls’s basketball discourse for a number of days as soon as once more.
Clark and Reese aren’t any strangers to being on this highlight, neither is it new for them to do it collectively. Sunday was the eighth time the pair have confronted off, together with in school. Reese gained the primary 4 conferences, culminating within the nationwide title recreation in 2023 through which the primary viral second between the 2 got here when Reese taunted Clark within the waning seconds of the sport.
Clark, although, has gained the three most up-to-date conferences. That features the Elite Eight contest earlier this 12 months and the 2 WNBA conferences between the pair to date.
Whereas their duels within the Huge Ten when Reese was at Maryland in her freshman and sophomore seasons earlier than transferring to LSU didn’t seize the nationwide viewers, their event showdowns actually did. The pair helped set the report for the most-watched girls’s school basketball recreation of all time in 2023 at 9.9 million viewers.
This spring in a rematch with a Remaining 4 berth on the road, they obliterated that report, with 12 million followers tuning into the sport. Of their first WNBA assembly this season, 1.5 million followers tuned in, the fourth-largest viewers to look at a WNBA recreation within the final twenty years on the time.
After years of commanding monumental audiences on the collegiate degree, Clark and Reese at the moment are bringing an entire new set of eyes to the skilled ranks.
“They love to look at us,” Reese mentioned of her and Clark earlier than Sunday’s assembly. “I believe we’ve completed an awesome job bringing quite a lot of followers to the league from school. I believe we each have completed that from our respective colleges and [having] our championship runs and going to the Remaining 4. I believe we did an awesome job bringing followers from school to the league and…we’ll proceed to assist [the league] develop.”
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25494036/usa_today_23033529.jpg)
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports activities
Given the occasions and controversy that passed off within the first assembly between the Fever and Sky of their first assembly, the TV viewers for Sunday’s recreation will nearly actually be one other massive one. Gainbridge Fieldhouse was bought out for the fourth time this season, and the followers had been as loud as they’ve been all 12 months.
It’s inarguable that Reese and Clark are compelling tv: two of one of the best younger gamers on the earth squaring off with each other time and time once more as they assist develop the sport alongside the way in which.
However what Clark thinks attracts audiences most, although, is the “emotion and fervour” the 2 play these showdowns with.
“I believe folks like to see that,” Clark mentioned. “I believe that’s possibly not one thing that was at all times appreciated in girls’s sports activities and it needs to be. That’s what makes it enjoyable. We’re opponents. That’s the way in which the sport needs to be. It’s going to get a bit feisty, it’s going to get a bit bodily however on the finish of the day, each groups are simply attempting to win.
“I believe what she’s completed together with her platform is unimaginable. She has a whole fanbase that has supported her [with] what she did at Maryland after which LSU. Clearly, I’ve performed her for a really very long time and he or she’s been an amazing participant. It’s been enjoyable to get to compete in opposition to. I believe it’s been actually good for the sport. Individuals simply love seeing nice matchups. But additionally, on the identical time, folks tune in for these matchups however then they get to see how wonderful these groups are after which they discover new gamers to assist and proceed to return again for them, too. So, I believe that’s one other advantage of it, truthfully.”
Sunday was one other noteworthy second within the rivalry. Even when each downplayed it, the headlines from the sport gained’t be about Clark’s near-triple-double or Reese’s double-double. It would carry consideration to the league, however not in the way in which both need.
The pair, although, is bringing a lot of the needed consideration to the league as properly. And Reese and Clark could have loads of alternatives to offer extra memorable moments in opposition to each other.
The WNBA shouldn’t be chock filled with rivalries that resonate on a nationwide scale the way in which Clark’s and Reese’s do. The Liberty and Aces are a transparent one because the league’s two superteams, however outdoors of that, there aren’t many different nationally-known rivalries.
Pregame, Fever head coach Christie Sides was requested if their matchups in opposition to the Sky really feel like rivalry video games. Sides, who served as an assistant in Chicago from 2011 by way of 2016, mentioned it was a “large” rivalry and has been for a few years. However even when that’s the way it felt to these on the within already, the addition of Reese and Clark was at all times going to carry it up a few notches now.
They’re two of the brilliant younger stars on this recreation and have already outlined an period of the faculty recreation. They appear to be on the trail to doing the identical within the WNBA as properly.
And in the event that they do, it might assist elevate the league to its highest ranges but.
You’ll be able to observe Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
