Angel Reese Claims That the WNBA’s Success in 2024 Won’t Be Due Just to Caitlin Clark
Published at 6:00 PM EDT on June 5, 2024
Once again, competitors at the professional level, two of the WNBA’s most prominent rookies this season square off after playing each other in two unforgettable NCAA Tournament games.
On Saturday, LSU Tigers national champion turned Chicago Sky power forward Angel Reese (the No. 7 pick this year) and Iowa Hawkeyes All-American sensation turned Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark (the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft) faced each other for the first time as representatives of their respective new teams. After enduring some contentious hard fouling, Clark led her Fever to their first win of the nascent 2024 season, a 71-70 triumph in Indiana.
At this point in the season, Reese’s similarly rebuilding Sky are 3-4, while the Fever are 2-8.
Reese was able to score eight points for Chicago in thirty minutes on two of nine field goals, get thirteen rebounds, hand out one assist, and steal a basket. The 6-foot-3 youngster has averaged 10.9 points this season while shooting a less-than-ideal 33.8 percent field goal and 70.2 percent free throws. He has also pulled down nine rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Angelina Reese Michaela Onyenchie was Chicago Sky
On June 1, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky celebrates a basket with Michaela Onyenwere #12 against the Indiana Fever during the third quarter.Continue… Goty Images/Andy Lyons
On 4-of-11 from the field (2-of-9 from long range), 1-of-1 from the charity stripe, eight rebounds, six assists (against five mistakes), and one steal, Clark finished with 11 points of her own. The 6-foot guard is averaging 15.6 points with a slash line of.357/.297/.896 through her first 11 games as a professional, 6.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and one block per game.
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Reese talked extensively about her rivalry with Clark on the court and her own influence on the startling rise in WNBA interest this season during a postgame interview with local Chicago station WGN News.
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“The [2023] national championship game was the catalyst for everything. “Yeah, bad things have probably been said about me, but honestly, I’ll take that, given the state of women’s basketball,” Reese remarked. “I’ve been dealing with this for two years now.” “You would never believe that people would be discussing women’s basketball. However, they are. Simply because of a single game, fans are showing up to games, celebrities are attending, and arenas are sold out. And considering that, I’ll accept that role—that of the villain—and I’ll keep doing it on behalf of my teammates.”
Since the WNBA’s founding in 1997, it has attracted more attention than at any other time in the sports media, making it a hot topic. Clark, the most prolific scorer in college basketball history (both men’s and women’s), has contributed significantly to that, but in a league that is steadily expanding, she is not the only talent in the star-studded rookie class.
Next, Reese turned to emphasize her main argument.
There are several reasons why we watch women’s basketball outside simply one individual. It is also my fault. I want everyone to understand that,” Reese continued.
According to Across The Timeline, the Fever broke their home attendance record for the whole 2023 season after just five home games during the Clark era. Their current total of 82,857 customers (average attendance of 16,571 per game) surpasses their previous year’s record of 81,336 fans in 20 games. The Sky’s attendance average of 8,255 spectators per game is also a big jump above their 2023 average of 7,241 fans, which was before Reese and 2024 NCAA champion Kamilla Cardoso arrived.
According to Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut, the ESPN Sky-Fever contest drew an average audience of 1.5 million people, making it the fourth most watched WNBA game in the previous 22 seasons.
