INDIANAPOLIS — It should still be very early of their respective journeys, however Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark might 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 probably the most heralded rookie lessons ever, Clark and Reese — and particularly the aggressive school clashes between their Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers, respectively — performed an enormous position in bringing the ladies’s recreation to a nationwide viewers.
Sunday supplied the newest 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 ultimately deemed a Flagrant-1 foul.
While it possible 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 finest 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 last 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 have been offensive), and 5 assists.
After the sport, although, there was just one subject 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 have to make these two free throws,” Clark mentioned when requested about Reese’s flagrant foul. “That’s all I’m fascinated with. It’s simply a part of basketball. It is 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 along with her response, calling the foul a “basketball play” and stating that she was going for the ball. Neither wished to make a giant deal about it, however that gained’t cease the take practice from happening the tracks — and doubtlessly derailing ladies’s basketball discourse for just a few days as soon as once more.
Clark and Reese are not 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 during 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 consists of the Elite Eight contest earlier this 12 months and the 2 WNBA conferences between the pair thus far.
While their duels within the Big Ten when Reese was at Maryland in her freshman and sophomore seasons earlier than transferring to LSU didn’t seize the nationwide viewers, their match showdowns actually did. The pair helped set the document for the most-watched ladies’s school basketball recreation of all time in 2023 at 9.9 million viewers.
This spring in a rematch with a Final Four berth on the road, they obliterated that document, with 12 million fans tuning into the game. In their first WNBA assembly this season, 1.5 million followers tuned in, the fourth-largest audience to watch a WNBA game within the final twenty years on the time.
After years of commanding huge audiences on the collegiate degree, Clark and Reese at the moment are bringing a complete new set of eyes to the skilled ranks.
“They love to observe us,” Reese mentioned of her and Clark earlier than Sunday’s assembly. “I believe we’ve executed an ideal job bringing quite a lot of followers to the league from school. I believe we each have executed that from our respective faculties and [having] our championship runs and going to the Final Four. I believe we did an ideal job bringing followers from school to the league and…we’ll proceed to assist [the league] develop.”
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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Given the occasions and controversy that happened 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 giant one. Gainbridge Fieldhouse was offered out for the fourth time this season, and the followers have 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 this planet squaring off with each other time and time once more as they assist develop the sport alongside the way in which.
But what Clark thinks attracts audiences most, although, is the “emotion and fervour” the 2 play these showdowns with.
“I believe individuals like to see that,” Clark mentioned. “I believe that’s possibly not one thing that was all the time appreciated in ladies’s sports activities and it ought to be. That’s what makes it enjoyable. We’re opponents. That’s the way in which the sport ought to be. It’s going to get a bit of feisty, it’s going to get a bit of bodily however on the finish of the day, each groups are simply attempting to win.
“I believe what she’s executed along with her platform is unbelievable. She has a whole fanbase that has supported her [with] what she did at Maryland after which LSU. Obviously, I’ve performed her for a really very long time and he or she’s been an incredible participant. It’s been enjoyable to get to compete in opposition to. I believe it’s been actually good for the sport. People simply love seeing nice matchups. But additionally, on the identical time, individuals tune in for these matchups however then they get to see how superb these groups are after which they discover new gamers to help and proceed to come back again for them, too. So, I believe that’s one other good thing about it, actually.”
Sunday was one other noteworthy second within the rivalry. Even if each downplayed it, the headlines from the sport gained’t be about Clark’s near-triple-double or Reese’s double-double. It will carry consideration to the league, however not in the way in which both need.
The pair, although, is bringing a lot of the wished consideration to the league as properly. And Reese and Clark may have loads of alternatives to supply extra memorable moments in opposition to each other.
The WNBA just isn’t chock stuffed 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 exterior 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 “big” rivalry and has been for a few years. But even when that’s the way it felt to these on the within already, the addition of Reese and Clark was all the time going to carry it up a few notches now.
They’re two of the intense younger stars on this recreation and have already outlined an period of the school recreation. They look to be on the trail to doing the identical within the WNBA as properly.
And in the event that they do, it may assist elevate the league to its highest ranges but.
You can comply with Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
