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NBA Great Embraces Intense Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Rivalry
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Saturday, May 17, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky, 93-58. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-IndyStar via Imagn Images Grace Smith-IndyStar via Imagn Images
As WNBA continues booming in viewership, the league is drawing eyes from basketball legends. Including Detroit Pistons great Isiah Thomas. Thomas sat down with Back in the Day NBA on SI Wednesday to discuss the dynamic Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivalry. "I think it's great in every aspect because the controversy it brings eyeballs," Thomas said. "The eyeballs and attention that is brought to the women's sport ... it makes people watch. Then all of a sudden, they're watching, they're like, 'They can play."'  Some onlookers don't like the idea of pitting two young stars against each other, but the reality is that fans indulge in the intensity of the game. Rivalries have always fueled sports, which Thomas knows all too well. He was the centerpiece of the "Bad Boy Pistons" that won consecutive championships as a physical powerhouse in the late 1980s and early 1990s. "The controversy is good," Thomas said. "People will pick their sides and they'll pick who they like, who they don't like, why they like them, why t

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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