Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been battling against each other for years.
They’ve been competitors from the travel basketball stage in high school to the Final Four in college to the biggest stage of women’s basketball, the WNBA.
Two players usually aren’t attached to each other, much like Clark and Reese have been on their basketball journeys. Clark’s stardom came from her highlight reel talent, leaving college as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.
Reese was known before her infamous encounter with Clark, but her NCAA tournament matchup against Clark really put her on the map.
Clark and Reese went head-to-head in the 2023 National Championship, and Reese came out on top. She was mocking Clark for a previous hand gesture, which went viral online.
Fast forward to their days in the WNBA, and the two continue to clash.
Clark and Reese have been at the forefront of change for the league. They’ve helped spark upgrades like charter flights and an increase in TV viewership.
Despite both of their influence, Clark has gotten most of the credit from fans and media.
Reese has taken offense to this, sharing her true feelings in a recent interview.
“People are talking about women’s basketball that you never would think would be talking about women’s basketball.
People are coming to games. We got celebrities coming to games. Sold out arenas…” said Reese.
“The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person.
It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that” via The Athletic WBB on X.
There have been debates online around the impact Clark and Reese have made, with many fans arguing that Reese has done just as much to help boost TV ratings and ticket sales.
Those debates may be shut down with the latest intel on the league’s viewership log.
Clark and the Fever have accounted for 33.5% of total WNBA attendance, per Robert Littal BSO on X.
Indiana has also averaged an attendance of 15,691 per game, competing against the league average of 7,645, according to Heavens on X.
It’s clear that Reese and the Sky have brought attention to the league, but there hasn’t been anyone on the level of Clark in terms of increased viewership and ticket sales for the league.
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