Caitlin Clark Pushes Back On Angel Reese Rivalry Narratives

BERLIN — Caitlin Clark called many of the stories about her relationship with Angel Reese “false takes” while speaking with reporters at the FIBA Women’s World Cup, Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press reported Wednesday. The two are making their World Cup debuts together for the United States.

Clark loves the fiery competitiveness that she and Reese share.

“No matter what, there’s always going to be people that create those narratives and say whatever they want to say,” Clark said. “There’s definitely no stopping that and they’re always going to be there. I think for ourselves, it’s easy for us to just come in here and compete.”

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Met For the 2023 National Title In Dallas

On April 2, 2023, Reese’s LSU team beat Clark’s Iowa team 102-85 in the national championship game at American Airlines Center in Dallas. A crowd of 19,482 set a women’s Final Four attendance record. The broadcast drew a record 9.9 million viewers.

Reese finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, her 34th double-double of the season and a Division I single-season record. She was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Clark scored a game-high 30 points with 8 assists. In the closing seconds, Reese pointed to her ring finger.

The teams met again in the Elite Eight on April 1, 2024, in Albany, New York. Clark made nine 3-pointers that night and finished with 41 points and 12 assists in a 94-87 Iowa win. Reese had 17 points and 20 rebounds before fouling out with 1:45 left. She said afterward that she knew it “was going to be a night for the ages” no matter which way it went.

Three and a half months later, Clark and Reese played on the same team for the first time. The WNBA All-Stars beat the U.S. Olympic team 117-109 on July 20, 2024, in Phoenix. One of Clark’s 10 assists, an All-Star Game rookie record, went to Reese. Reese finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for the first double-double by a rookie in All-Star Game history.

Clark said she appreciates Reese’s desire to win and her relentlessness on the court.

“It’s been fun to be able to play with her,” Clark said.

Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream Are Both 26-14

Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Atlanta Dream have both clinched WNBA playoff berths at 26-14. Minnesota (31-9), Golden State (29-11), and Las Vegas (27-13) hold the top three records in the league.

If the current seeds hold, the Fever and Dream would meet in the first round. The top four seeds have home-court advantage in that round. Indiana beat Atlanta 95-91 in overtime at State Farm Arena on Aug. 16, when Clark scored 26 points with 9 assists.

Clark is averaging 22.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists in 36 games this season. In her last game before the World Cup break, she had 34 points and 12 assists in a 111-91 win over Connecticut on Aug. 28. Reese is averaging 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 39 games in her first season with Atlanta.

Before the WNBA returns, the United States plays Hungary in the World Cup quarterfinals on Thursday at 4:30 a.m. CT on TNT and truTV. The semifinals are Saturday, and the final is Sunday.

WNBA play resumes Sept. 17, when Atlanta hosts Connecticut. Indiana hosts Toronto the next night.