Why Caitlin Clark is the clear ROTY at this point over Angel Reese | What's Wright?
Nick Wright explains why Caitlin Clark is the clear Rookie of the Year at this point in the WNBA season over Angel Reese, then dives into the social media talk among both players across W coverage.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have already taken their tense rivalry from college basketball to the WNBA.
However, there might be another stage just waiting to host more battles between the two stars.
A new startup women's basketball league, Unrivaled, is set to launch, led by current WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The biggest difference between this new league and the WNBA is Unrivaled would feature a 3-on-3 format, rather than 5-on-5. That means a greater emphasis on a smaller number of players. Unrivaled will only have 30 players in its first season.
Reese has already agreed to join in on the fun, announcing her intention to play in Unrivaled back in July. Reese became the 10th player to join the league, alongside Stewart, Collier, Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper and Jackie Young.
Now, the league is making an aggressive push to bring on Clark as well.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, reacts during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Connecticut. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Unrivaled is preparing to offer Clark a deal similar to the one that brought soccer legend Lionel Messi to MLS in the U.S. last year, according to a report by Front Office Sports. Inter Miami FC of the MLS coughed up $150 million, partial ownership and other financial incentives to bring Messi to the U.S.-based soccer league.
Unrivaled promises its 30 players the "highest salaries in professional women’s sports league history."
If Clark does end up joining the league, that means she will be in store for more physical and intimate matchups against Reese in a 3-on-3 setting. With fewer players on a smaller court, the matchup between Reese and Clark would be that much more consequential to the outcome of every possession. The outcome of any game between the two players will be less dependent on how their teammates perform, and a much bigger spotlight will be on the two when they are matched up.
In four head-to-head WNBA matchups this past season, Clark's Fever beat Reese's Sky three times. In just two of those contests, Reese put up more points than Clark, while pulling down more rebounds than Clark in all four meetings. Clark registered more assists in all four meetings.
Reese’s height advantage over Clark has resulted in the Sky rookie having a few stronger finishes in the paint and a few very physical blocks and block attempts. Some instances have also resulted in some hard fouls being called against Reese for her defense on Clark. In a game on June 16, Clark was going in for a layup, and Reese did not quite have the wingspan to block the shot and got a flagrant 1 when she hit Clark in the head from above instead.
INSIDE CAITLIN CLARK AND ANGEL REESE'S IMPACT ON MEN'S BASKETBALL
Angel Reese, #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers, reacts toward Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, during the fourth quarter during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 2, 2023 in Dallas. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
In the most famous meeting between the two players – the 2023 NCAA women’s title game – Reese used her superior size to out-duel Clark, putting up 15 points with 10 rebounds, while Clark shot 30 points. Reese led LSU to a convincing 102-85 victory over Clark and Iowa.
Clark got revenge when they met in the Elite Eight the following year for the last meeting the two would have at the collegiate level. Clark had a whopping 41 points with 12 assists, while Reese scored just 17 points while shooting just 7-of-21 from the field. Still, Reese did manage 20 rebounds in that game.
How their skill sets and history would translate on a 3-on-3 court has yet to be seen, but if it does happen, fans may also be able to expect a fair amount of trash talk and drama in between the whistles when the two are matched up.
Their history of tense moments began in the 2023 title game, when Reese made the celebratory gesture of pointing to her ring finger in Clark's face during the final minutes of Reese's and LSU's win.
It was a moment that Reese says "changed my life forever," in the first episode of her podcast.
"I think it's really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, that are really just, they ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it's very disrespectful. I think there's a lot of racism when it comes to it," Reese said.
Reese even alleges that some fans have made AI-generated images of her, depicting her without clothes on, and sent them to her family members.
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Angel Reese attends a game between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty during Game Five of the 2024 WNBA Finals on Oct. 20, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. (Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images)
"Multiple occasions, people have made AI-images of me naked. They have sent it to my family members. My family members are like uncles, sending it to me like, ‘Are you naked on Instagram?’" Reese said. "It sucks having to go through that and see other players have to go through that."
Still, Reese knows that her and Clark are the biggest draws in their respective sports, and their rivalry could help fuel a big-time push to make the Unrivaled league a real challenger to the WNBA. The narrative surrounding the two players could be completely different if they end up as teammates instead of opponents.
"We brought a lot of fans to this league," Reese recently told The Wall Street Journal. "And I think we’re going to continue to do that. And one day, hopefully, we’ll be teammates."
Playing in Unrivaled would not prevent Clark or Reese from remaining in the WNBA, because the league would be played during the WNBA offseason. However, Unrivaled will look to compete financially with the WNBA.
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