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Angel Reese’s LSU Teammate Gets Two-Word Response From Caitlin Clark on Birthday Post

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Jan 22, 2025 12:55 PM ET

On Caitlin Clark's last birthday — Jan. 22, 2024 — the landscape of women's basketball looked much different.

When the Iowa Hawkeyes star turned 22 years old last January, she had not yet broken the NCAA all-time scoring record. Clark was still months away from becoming the Indiana Fever's No. 1 WNBA draft pick.

The LSU Tigers, featuring Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson, were the reigning NCAA champions, having beaten Clark's Iowa in the title game the season prior.

LSU-Iowa was one of the biggest rivalries in the sport thanks to the stars involved, but they had no idea they would go on to have one last showdown in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, allowing Clark and the Hawkeyes to get their revenge.

Fast forward to Clark's 23rd birthday in 2025, and a lot has changed.

Clark's rivalry on the court continued with Reese in the WNBA. The LSU forward was selected No. 7 overall in the draft by the Chicago Sky, and they produced fireworks all four times Indiana and Chicago met in the 2024 regular season.

However, it was LSU's other star from the 2023-2024 team who got attention from Clark on her special day on Wednesday.

Johnson posted a picture on Instagram of herself and Clark at the 2024 WNBA All-Star game, where Johnson debuted her single, "Can’t Get Enough” featuring Bia and Lakeyah.

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It was the seventh photo Clark reposted on her Instagram story on the day of her birthday, but Johnson was the first one to get a written message in response.

"Elite pic," Clark wrote with a pink heart emoji.

Reese was also at the All-Star game where Clark and Johnson took the photo, giving the former on-court rivals and opportunity for them to put their NCAA battles behind them. In a unique NIL deal, Johnson is now an investor in the new 3-on-3 Unrivaled basketball league, which counts Reese as one of its headline stars and Clark as one of its few notable absentees.

In her junior season at LSU, Johnson is averaging 20 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists for Kim Mulkey's Tigers. They are ranked No. 5 in the country and carry a perfect 20-0 record into Thursday night's huge showdown with No. 2 South Carolina, the defending national champions.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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