Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry is a perfect storm for WNBA to grow

The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game took place Saturday evening with the league’s top players going up against the USA Women’s Olympic team. This format was also used in 2021, and the WNBA’s best came out on top once again behind another brilliant showing from Arike Ogunbowale. However, the main attraction at this year’s All-Star Game was Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese being on the same team. You may have heard of them.

Clark had a rough shooting night, missing all seven of her three-point attempts but still finished with 10 assists. Reese had yet another double-double, and everyone got a glimpse of what a potential Clark-Reese pairing would look like.

Reese said after the game she hopes the duo will come together on a global stage soon, something the WNBA and basketball fans can look forward to.

Both rookies now get a much-needed break with the 2024 Summer Olympics putting a pause on the WNBA season. And while basketball fans can envision the potential combination these two can be on the floor, the WNBA should hope these stars in the making remain cast in their current roles as rivals. Clark and Reese have created the perfect storm for the league, and the best way to ensure continued growth is to keep it that way.

A rivalry is born

Both parties are familiar with the backstory at this point. Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes made a run to the NCAA Tournament championship, upsetting previously unbeaten South Carolina along the way only to lose to Reese’s LSU Tigers in the title. Reese hit Clark with John Cena’s “You can’t see me” and pointed to her finger to signify the ring she was about to get, sparking a deeper conversation among sports commentators and fans while driving women’s basketball ratings through the roof. Everyone was extremely fortunate to get a rematch of this game the following season, where Clark got the better of Reese to craft a nice revenge narrative. South Carolina, behind Kamilla Cardoso, took care of Clark to get some payback of its own in the title game. Cardoso is Reese’s Sky teammate.

Timing continued to be on the WNBA’s side as both Clark and Reese got drafted at the same time. Cardoso was also drafted in the class, and although she might not be the most prominent figure of the three, she will no doubt play a part in this budding rivalry.

WNBA’s “Larry vs. Magic”

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson boosted the NBA to new heights during the 1980s after both played in the NCAA Tournament championship game against each other. The rivalry between Bird’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers set the foundation for what became a billion-dollar sport. That’s something the WNBA should be salivating over. It’s easy to draw the parallels of Bird and Magic to Clark and Reese, even if the playing styles aren’t exactly the same. And the contrasts go beyond the obvious racial backgrounds of both players.

Clark is a four-year starter who went to her flagship state school and set NCAA records. She’s the engine offensively, manufacturing most of her team’s production whether it’s through her scoring or passing. She’s a quick point guard, dominating with the ball in her hand. And she has unlimited range. Reese starred at her flagship state school as well but decided she needed a change and went to LSU. She’s a power forward, asserting herself on the opposition physically. She controls the boards on both ends of the floor and sets the tone on the interior. Her game might not be as aesthetically pleasing as Clark’s but it’s extremely effective.

None of the college exploits of these two women would’ve meant anything if their play didn’t translate to the pros. Potential has to turn into production and even if took a few games, that’s exactly what has happened. Clark is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in 2024. She’s the favorite to win Rookie of the Year (-1800 at DraftKings Sportsbook) and leads the league in assists per game. Reese is the only other contender for ROTY at +800. She’s averaging 13.5 points and 12 rebounds per game, with the latter mark leading the league. Reese set a WNBA record with 15 straight double-doubles. The two have faced each other in some thrilling contests, further heightening the rivalry in the eyes of fans.

Head-to-head thrillers in 2024

The Fever and Sky have played three times so far this season, with Indiana leading the series 2-1. Exactly one point decided two of the games. Clark and Reese both struggled a bit in the first matchup, a one-point win for the Fever after they were able to run out the clock on the final possession. Clark had a near triple-double in the second matchup with 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to give Indiana the win. The third matchup was the other one-point game, which featured the highest average ticket price for a WNBA contest since 2015. Reese tallied 25 points and 16 rebounds as part of a double-digit comeback in front of a Sky home crowd to give Chicago its first victory in the season head-to-head matchup. There’s one more game left between these two sides after the Olympic break. The rest of the WNBA has taken notice.

Sky guard Chennedy Carter (who has had a strong season herself) entered the spotlight when she blatantly hip-checked Clark in the first meeting between Chicago and Indiana. This was the most egregious of what Fever head coach Christie Sides said was a targeted effort against Clark by the rest of the league. Reese hasn’t encountered much of this, mostly because no one is stupid enough to get into a contest like that against her. However, she hasn’t been immune to some targeting. She was two points away from yet another double-double in her streak in a game that was well in hand for the New York Liberty. They didn’t care, sending FOUR players at her in an effort to end her run.

Maintaining this perfect storm

The WNBA is reportedly expected to receive $200 million per year as part of an 11-year media rights agreement worth $2.2 billion, behind record attendance and viewership numbers. That’s an annual increase of $140 million, driven largely by Clark and Reese’s entry to the league. Executive director Terri Jackson believes this increase might actually be undervaluing the league, and it would be hard to argue that given the trends. There’s a CBA that players can opt out of after this year, which is expected to happen. That negotiation will be interesting, especially since the league has a notable rivalry to sell.

Even though it doesn’t carry the traditional East vs. West parallel, the Chicago vs. Indianapolis shouldn’t be discounted. The cities are 3 hours apart on I-65, which means proximity is a factor. Chicago is the largest city in the Midwest while Indianapolis is substantially smaller, creating what some would call a “big brother” phenomenon. And there’s the sport itself. Dr. James Naismith considered Indiana to be “the center of the sport” while Chicago has routinely produced top talents as part of rich high school hoops scene and witnessed the greatest basketball player of all time define a franchise. The battles between the Bulls and Pacers during the 1990s captured this rivalry beautifully, and we can only hope the Sky and Fever match that.

Every sport needs its star but it takes a quantum leap in terms of popularity when there’s a rivalry to sell. The NBA has iconic individual talents with Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but its best years came when Bird’s Celtics battled Magic’s Lakers. The matchups between James and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry might’ve gotten tiring by the fourth round but the first two Finals were electric. James had some famous battles against the Celtics as a member of the Heat. The Shaq and Kobe Lakers tangled with the Spurs and Kings in the early 2000s.

Rivalries ignite something deeper within sports fans and the leagues are better off because of them. Clark and Reese can come together for All-Star weekend and the Olympics, but that’s more than enough. They don’t necessarily need to act like rivals but they do need to be cast in those roles for the WNBA to maintain its growth.

There’s about a month before the 2024 season resumes. Both the Fever and Sky are set to make the playoffs despite being below .500, although they are unlikely to play each other barring some insane postseason runs. That’ll be the next step in what could be the rivalry that defines two stars, two franchises and the league as a whole.