Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark climbing up the WNBA player rankings

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are usually fierce competitors, but the two were on the same team for Team USA's FIBA World Cup run in Germany this year. Reese and Clark helped take this team to a gold medal for the fifth consecutive year, and that's something to celebrate.

Now, though, these two are back on different teams. Reese, of course, is with the Atlanta Dream, and Clark is playing for the Indiana Fever. Their teams are back in action now that the World Cup break is over, and both teams are vying for a championship.

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark move up in the WNBA rankings from Bleacher Report

Heading into the end of the regular season, Reese and Clark both have something to brag about. Bleacher Report has unveiled its new list of the best WNBA players, and both of them went up in the rankings.

Reese is No. 15 on the tally, moving up one spot.

"Reese isn't your conventional star, but she impacts winning in so many different ways," Hunter Cruse of Bleacher Report notes. "She's the best rebounder in WNBA history, a lock for an All-Defensive team and an elite transition scorer who consistently turns defense into offense."

Clark is No. 5, moving up from No. 11, so a big jump for her.

"When Clark has the pull-up three going, teams have to sell out even harder on her jumpers," Cruse says of Clark. "But she's got the in-between game going, too, and the finishing is elite. When all of that is on, there's no answer and that's been the case for a couple months."

So, rankings aren't everything, but it's definitely a good sign and is putting these ladies at the center stage.

They deserve it, too. Clark is averaging 22.5 points (third highest in the league) and 8.4 assists (tied for first in the league) per game. Her field-goal percentage is a career-high 45.6%. Reese is also performing at her highest level this season. She leads the league with 12.4 rebounds per game. Last month, she had a whopping 26 rebounds in one game against the Los Angeles Sparks, setting a new WNBA record for the most rebounds in one game. 

So, yes, both of these ladies deserve the respect.