During a practice for the WNBA All-Star Game, longtime rivals and temporary teammates Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese competed in a half-court shooting contest.
Recalling last year’s national championship game, Reese emerged victorious over Clark, making his long-range shot, and Clark not missing his.
At this celebration, no one pointed to their ring finger, just raised three fingers in the air and then high-fived their teammates, but none to Clark.
Reese’s shot from half court crashed off the backboard and was the second attempt after Clark’s miss.
Following the conclusion of practice, Reese and WNBA All-Star teammate Arike Ogunbowale received a $100 award from head coach and women’s basketball legend Cheryl Miller for making a half-court shot.
Angel Reese hits a half-court shot during the WNBA All-Star team’s practice in Phoenix
Reese high-fived several teammates after the shot, but not Caitlin Clark.
Both Reese and Clark will be part of the WNBA All-Stars team that will face the U.S. Olympic team, which is comprised of a dozen WNBA players. The All-Star game between the mega teams will take place Saturday night in Phoenix.
The rivalry between Clark and Reese has been well documented at the college and professional levels.
In addition to the 2023 national championship game between Reese’s LSU and Clark’s Iowa, the Tigers and Hawkeyes also met in the Elite Eight earlier this year, with Iowa’s win ending LSU’s bid to repeat as a titleholder in what ended up being Reese’s final college game.
Clark was selected six picks higher than Reese in April’s WNBA Draft, and the two had already met three times as professionals.
Clark’s team, the Indiana Fever, won the first two matchups, and Reese’s team, the Chicago Sky, emerged victorious in the final one. Those matches were filled with tense moments between Clark and a Sky player.
On June 1, Chennedy Carter slapped Clark in an act that fans called not in good faith with basketball.
Carter declined to answer questions on the topic at a postgame press conference, but reaffirmed her stance online by stating “besides three-point shooting, what does she bring to the table?” on Threads.
On June 16, Reese committed a flagrant foul against Clark when the former LSU star missed a block attempt and hit Clark in the head with his arm, sending his opponent to the ground in pain.
Reese also spoke badly of Clark and his team in front of the press, claiming they had a “special whistle.”
However, it seems that the bad blood that exists between Clark and Reese is only as opponents. They were seen practicing together for the game in good spirits and with no animosity towards each other.
