Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark downplayed their rivalry throughout their rookie season, as well as once it was over. Both players gave the impression that it was the media that was making them look like rivals.
The Chicago Sky player took it a step further by suggesting that the media were pitting two women against each other.
But when the two met for the first time in their sophomore season, all hell broke loose when Clark fouled Reese, which led the Sky forward to jump back up and confront the Indiana Fever star. The latter was slapped with a flagrant foul, and Reese picked up a technical foul.
Later on, both of them downplayed the incident and termed it as a basketball play. But the situation transpired into a full-blown race war as fans and some media members brought in the factor of hate, when talking about how Reese responded.
On the other hand, FS1 analyst Nick Wright did not touch the foul subject. Instead, he focused on the glaring difference in skill level on display. He felt Angel Reese did not show any improvement from last season and risks being left out of this rivalry.
The topic of the altercation and the rivalry came up on rapper Joe Budden's podcast. When a panelist talked about how the rivalry was being termed as being similar to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Budden interrupted:
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It is. Magic, and a bird.
Joe Budden saidJoe Budden agreed that Caitlin Clark was equivalent to Magic Johnson. But Angel Reese was not akin to Larry Bird. Instead, he insinuated that she was like a bird, flapping her arms and legs around and shooting air balls instead of scoring. This brutal troll sent the podcast panel into splits.
Angel Reese's reputation is on the line this season
Angel Reese might not appreciate how her second season in the WNBA has started. She was expected to bring an improved game to help the Chicago Sky win games and reach the playoffs. The franchise brought in a lot of veterans to help reach that goal.
Angel Reese risks losing out in rivalry with Caitlin Clark (Image via Open Source/X)But the 23-year-old is staring at a difficult situation. This season, the electric offseason has seen many teams stack their roster. Therefore, it is not that the Sky alone will have a competitive squad. It boils down to which team can build their chemistry fast enough and unlock their potential.
But Nick Wright seems to believe that Reese's lack of development could continue to impede the Sky. She might continue to rack up stats. But those stats have to help the team win games. Last season, her statistics did not help matters, especially towards the closing stretch of the season where they missed out on the playoffs despite her double-doubles.
If that situation repeats this season, Angel Reese could be staring at a possible loss of face. She will not have anything to show for in terms of success on the basketball court. It might have worked in the 3×3 Unrivaled League, but in the 5×5 WNBA format, the stakes are a lot different.
Angel Reese notched a WNBA record in blowout loss
When the dust settled on the 35-point blowout season-opening loss, the Chicago Sky had to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to improve their on-court performance. But in that embarrassing loss, Angel Reese found a silver lining.
It came to her attention that she had become the fastest player in WNBA history to garner 450 points as well as rebounds. She managed to notch 474 points and 463 rebounds in just 35 games. An excited Reese reposted that stat on her X.
It might be the only solace she received from that game. But she cannot rest on it as the Sky will now face the reigning WNBA champions, and two playoff contenders in three straight games. Winning against them will be a tall task, but any improvements will be encouraging.
Also Read:
- WNBA Officiating Takes a Hilarious Turn with the Wrong Player Shooting Free Throws
- Caitlin Clark Labels Close Friend Tyrese Haliburton's Pacers as 'Greatest Comeback Team'
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Subscribe NOWIt is. Magic, and a bird.
Joe Budden said(3057 Articles Published)
Joseph is a Senior Writer with FirstSportz and covers the NBA as well as the NFL. Sports came to him naturally from a young age. While playing high school basketball, he was enamored by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's all-dominating Lakers, who still happen to be his favorite team. He had a fleeting interest in American football during the Greatest Show on Turf era. That interest then grew exponentially when he saw Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom romp their way to a Super Bowl. All that time, he was either trying to graduate with a degree in Commerce from St. Xavier's University, Kolkata, or working with HDFC Bank and HSBC. Then his long-standing passion for automobiles saw him launch East India's first auto-detailing service. His keen eye for quality and creativity has carried over to his forays as a writer, where he combines it with his three-decade experience as a sports fan to help him place words together.