Angel Reese is excited about teaming up with Caitlin Clark in their WNBA All-Star game debuts on July 20.
Reese and Clark, both 22, were chosen for the 12-player roster revealed by the league on July 3. They will join other all-stars to play against the WNBA players selected for the U.S. Olympic team in Phoenix.
In an interview on NBA Today, the 22-year-old guard from Chicago Sky shared her enthusiasm for playing alongside the rookie from Indiana Fever, with whom she has developed a rivalry since their meeting in the 2023 NCAA championship game.
“I know many fans will come out to watch both of us,” Reese mentioned in anticipation of the upcoming All-Star Game.
Reese, drafted seventh overall by Chicago in April, expressed her eagerness to be in the company of the league’s top players.
Furthermore, the Sky star mentioned that she foresees teaming up with Clark in the future as the two young standouts debut as All-Stars. “We will be playing together for a long time, so this won’t be the last time. I believe we will be All-Stars again,” Reese shared.
“And hopefully, in 2028, we will be Olympians together,” she added.
Reese’s remarks come shortly after Clark discussed teaming up with her friendly competitor.
Clark mentioned, “I don’t recall ever being her teammate before, not even at USA Basketball. I know people will be very excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t overshadow everyone else,” as reported by ESPN.
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The Fever standout expressed her desire for the rookie rivals not to divert attention from the weekend’s focus, which aims to celebrate the brightest stars of the WNBA.
“This is a major accomplishment,” Clark stated to ESPN. “They all deserve equal recognition. I don’t want it to overshadow any of that and become the centerpiece of All-Star weekend because that wouldn’t be fair to them.”
Fans are eagerly anticipating watching Reese and Clark play together, including NBA icon Magic Johnson, who recently stated that the WNBA rookies remind him of himself and Larry Bird.
“When I think about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and me,” Johnson wrote in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Johnson went on to mention, “Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball. Caitlin and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite Eight games were the highest viewership records at the time.”
Upon learning of her All-Star selection, Reese expressed to ESPN her joy at seeing her hard work pay off. “I am just so happy,” she said. “I know the effort I have put in. Many doubted me when I entered this league, thinking my game wouldn’t translate or that I wouldn’t be the player I was in college or better, or even worse. But I am now where I am.”