The entire history of the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry

While Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has been doing her part to increase the popularity of the WNBA with her stellar play, one great player doesn't always move the needle. What drives intrigue is a great rivalry between two quality opponents, and Clark found her perfect foil in Chicago Sky star Angel Reese.

Clark and Reese are two of the best players in the WNBA, and there is no more watched spectacle in the sport than any Fever-Sky game in which both of them are playing. This rivalry has often been compared to Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird in terms of how it made their respective sports a marquee event that the casual viewer at home needed to see.

To figure out where this pizzazz came from, one needs to take a look at how it started. Clark and Reese have been honing their craft alongside one another for years, and they will only add more great moments to their individual legacies in the next few years.

The history of the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry

Both Reese and Clark were considered elite prospects in the 2020 women's basketball recruiting class, which is regarded by many as a mold-breaking group that brought the game into the public consciousness.

Reese, who would commit to Maryland, was ranked second in the class behind Dallas Wings rookie sensation Paige Bueckers, while Iowa commit Clark was ranked fourth behind Los Angeles Sparks big Cameron Brink and just ahead of Reese's Sky teammate Kamilla Cardoso.

In college, Reese dominated the early stages of the rivalry. With the Terrapins, Reese won all three of her regular-season matchups against Clark's Hawkeyes, including a win in the 2021 Big Ten Championship game. While Reese averaged 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in 2021-22, Clark led the country in scoring with 27.0 points per game and assists per game with 8.0 while chipping in 8.0 rebounds per game as well.

This rivalry had a full canister of gasoline poured on it after Reese transferred to perennial power LSU. Reese not only averaged 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds per game with the Lady Tigers (against Clark's 27.8 points and 8.6 assists per game), but she also helped her team win a national championship. Famously, this came at the expense of Clark.

Clark may have put up 30 of her team's 85 points, but an overwhelmed Iowa defense surrendered 102 points and lost. Reese famously pointed to her ring finger in front of Clark when it became clear that victory was assured, which is viewed by many as the lit match that truly sparked this firestorm.

While the "bad sportsmanship" hawks managed to swoop in and jump over Reese for her brash display, Clark even defended Reese, noting that such a display falls within the bounds of acceptable competitive fervor.

The two met again in the Elite Eight the following season, with Clark finally knocking out Reese and LSU by a 94-87 scoreline. In what was the most-watched women's college basketball game ever, Reese's 17 points and 20 rebounds weren't enough to match Clark's 41-point, 12-assist effort. Clark would lose in the title game once more to a loaded South Carolina team that polished off an unbeaten season.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese remained rivals in the WNBA

Clark was the clear and obvious No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, where the Fever jumped at the chance to add her. Reese, despite concerns about her fit with another non-shooting big in No. 3 overall pick Cardoso, was taken by the Sky with the No. 7 pick.

Fever-Sky immediately became the marquee rivalry in the WNBA, and it took all of one game for the sparks to fly.

Clark was shoved in the back and knocked to the ground by Sky guard Chennedy Carter, who had a history of wearing out her welcome with teams due to locker room strife. What stood out about this play (which has been incorrectly assessed as anything more than a regular hard foul in the middle of competition), was the fact that Reese could be seen clapping and applauding on the sidelines. Reese was fined after not being made available to the media afterward.

A reversal of this incident took place in the early stages of the 2025 season, as Clark was handed a flagrant foul after slamming into Reese during another Fever victory. This prompted Reese to lash out in the immediate aftermath and reignite many of the same questions from the Carter incident.

The first incident kicked off a cottage industry hyperanalyzing the dynamics between Clark and Reese from all sides, including some social angles that have nothing to do with their play or actions on the court.

One generally held belief that has emerged, however, is that Reese is the more antagonistic of the two. Due to Reese's self-verified claim that she is more willing to play a "bad guy" role if it means supporting her teammates, it seems like both parties have naturally adapted to their respective parts.

Clark and Reese have said all the right things publicly as their performances continue to drive interest in the women's side of the game. "We're not best friends, by any means," Reese said, "but we're very respectful of one another." This doesn't appear to be a personal beef.

It is clear, however, that from their on-court interactions, there is some genuine strife between these two whenever a ball is tipped.