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Caitlin Clark theorized why basketball fans have become so engrossed in her rivalry with Angel Reese after the two butted heads during a WNBA game last season
Since their debut in the WNBA last season, Clark and Reese have had several heated encounters. They tried to downplay their rivalry during the offseason, with the latter even refusing to answer a question about the former last month.
However, it didn’t take long for the tension to flare up again in the 2025 campaign. In the season opener, Reese had to be restrained after a hard foul from Clark.
While sidelined with an injury during the Indiana Fever’s second matchup against the Chicago Sky, Clark was also spotted emphatically celebrating Reese’s mistake. Just over one year ago, Clark theorized why basketball fans are so infatuated by her rivalry with Reese. “I think it’s just the emotion and the passion that we play with,” she told reporters at the time.
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“I think people love to see that, and I think that’s maybe not something that was always appreciated in women’s sports, and it should be.
“That’s what makes it fun. We’re competitors. That’s the way the game should be. It’s going to get a little feisty, it’s going to get physical, but at the end of the day both teams are just trying to win.
“I mean, I think what she’s done with her platform has been absolutely incredible, and she has an entire fanbase that has supported her and what she did at Maryland and then LSU,” Clark continued.
“Obviously I’ve played her for a very long time and she’s been a tremendous player, so it’s been fun getting to compete against and I think it’s been really good for the game.
“People love seeing great matchups but also, at the same time, people tune in for these matchups and get to see how amazing these teams are and then they find new players to support and continue to come back for them, too. I think that’s another benefit of it, honestly.”
Whether intentionally or not, Reese further stoked her feud with Clark moments after the Iowa guard heaped praise onto her.
During the Sky’s 91-83 loss to the Fever last season, Reese clocked Clark in the head while attempting to block a shot. Following a review, the initial foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1.
Reese did little to hide her frustration with the call, telling reporters: “It was a basketball play. I can’t control the refs.
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“They affected the game obviously a lot today. I’m always going for the ball. Y’all are going to play that clip 20 times before Monday.”
The 23-year-old then appeared to hint that Clark receives preferential treatment from WNBA officials, adding: “I think we went up really strong a lot of times, and we didn’t get a lot of calls.
“Going back and looking at the film, I’ve seen a lot of calls that weren’t made. I guess some people got a special whistle. But just being able to play hard as best as we can.”
