Before making headlines last month with a brutal foul on Caitlin Clark, but long after directing an infamous on-court insult at her 2023 NCAA Championship opponent, Angel Reese actually wanted to be teammates with the Iowa Hawkeyes legend.
“Oh my gosh, I love Caitlin,” Reese told reporters in a resurfaced clip from the fall of 2023 as she was beginning her senior season at LSU. “We’ve been competing since we were in AAU. Back in the AAU days, we were always competing. I remember she was on All Iowa Attack and we were playing each other in AAU. It was always fun and always competitive.
“One day, hopefully, she and I can be teammates because she’s a great player, a great shooter, a great person and a great teammate,” Reese added.
As it turns out, Reese will get her wish at the upcoming WNBA All-Star Game, when the two rookies will face off against the U.S. Olympic team together on July 20 in Phoenix.
Clark, the Indiana Fever’s rookie sensation, has expressed some trepidation about working alongside the Chicago Sky power forward, but not any animosity between the two: “I know people are going to be really excited, but I hope it doesn’t take away from anyone else. This is a huge accomplishment for everyone on Team USA and everyone on Team WNBA. Everyone deserves the same praise.”
Angel Reese recently set a WNBA record with her 10th consecutive double-double.
Indiana’s Caitlin Clark handles the ball during the game against the Las Vegas Aces
Reese’s feelings toward Clark have changed a bit now that they’re both professionals.
Aside from Reese’s flagrant foul against Clark on June 16, she has repeatedly reminded reporters that there is more than one notable rookie playing in the WNBA this season.
Reese also claimed that Clark benefits from a “special whistle” from the referees.
Of course, Reese directed wrestler John Cena’s famous “You can’t see me” hand gesture toward Clark during the 2023 NCAA Championships, a move the Iowa star had directed at another player earlier in the tournament.
Clark and Reese are now inextricably linked in women’s basketball history.
Their 2023 NCAA Finals matchup, when Reese’s LSU Tigers won a national championship against Clark’s Hawkeyes, remains one of the highest-rated games in the history of the sport. And their April 4 rematch in the Elite 8 finally surpassed that mark.
Reese points to her ring finger after performing John Cena’s ‘You Can’t See Me’ at Clark in 2023
Since going first and seventh overall in April’s draft, the two have had a similar impact on the WNBA, which is seeing record viewership in 2024.
And they have not exactly disappointed on the court.
Reese recently recorded her WNBA-record 10th consecutive double-double, while Clark moved into 18th place in the league in scoring at 16 points per game.
And aside from some recent shooting struggles (Clark is 3-for-17 from deep in his last two outings), the former Hawkeyes star has helped the Fever to wins in six of their last eight games.
Currently, the Fever (8-13) and Sky (7-11) are fighting for the eighth and final spot in the WNBA playoffs.