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Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are widely credited with advancing the WNBA’s popularity during their rookie seasons. However, according to Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant, Reese stands alone as his favorite female athlete.
Clark and Reese took the WNBA by storm during the 2024 campaign, each garnering All-Star selections as rookies.
Clark showcased her electric shooting and playmaking abilities, leading the league in 3-pointers and assists en route to winning WNBA Rookie of the Year. She also earned All-WNBA first-team honors.
Conversely, Reese thrived as a low-post presence, securing the WNBA’s rebounding title.
While many fans seem to resonate more with Clark’s playstyle as a sharpshooting guard, Durant favors Reese.
On Monday, the Suns celebrated Women’s Empowerment Month by sharing a clip of their players being asked to name their favorite female athletes. Most chose WNBA icons, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Maya Moore, or legends from other sports, like Serena Williams. However, Durant took a different approach.
“Angel Reese,” Durant said (timestamp: 0:34).
Durant didn’t provide any reasoning for his pick. However, the two-time NBA champion has long been considered an astute basketball fan and a staunch WNBA supporter, adding weight to his endorsement of Reese.
Angel Reese resonates with Kevin Durant’s basketball journey
Before receiving Kevin Durant’s nod of approval, Angel Reese identified with the superstar’s passion for basketball.
Last month, Netflix posted a video of Durant speaking about his 2024 Paris Olympic experience with Team USA to promote its docuseries “Court of Gold.” In the clip, the four-time Olympic gold medalist got choked up reflecting on his basketball journey.
“I come from a neighborhood where people don’t even talk to each other,” Durant said.
“(There’s) so much hate in the world, too. When people get to start laughing and joking about a game of ball, it’s cool to me. So, it gets me emotional, dawg. … The game saved my life. It brought me and my family out of a lot of bulls**t. So, I’m just grateful for it.”
Durant’s interview seemingly struck a chord with Reese, as she concurred with his sentiment on X/Twitter.
“This hoop (s**t) mean sum, man,” Reese wrote.
Durant and Reese have similar backgrounds, having grown up in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia). So, perhaps that contributed to the 15-time All-Star choosing Reese as his top female athlete.
Also Read: Angel Reese drops 5-word reaction after receiving glowing praise from rapper Gunna
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Edited by Tristan Rawcliffe
