Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark helped bring unprecedented attention to women’s college basketball.
Clark was the first player selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft, with the Chicago Sky selecting Reese with the seventh overall pick. The excitement surrounding the two stars has carried over from college to the professional ranks, and Saturday will mark the first time Reese and Clark will face off in the WNBA.
Reece will be bringing a special pair of sneakers with him for the highly-anticipated matchup. The Sky forward will wear a special pink “Barbie” edition shoe during Saturday’s game.
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Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese attend the 2024 WNBA Draft at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15 in New York City. (Cora Veltman/Sportico via Getty Images)
The shoes play on Reese’s nickname, “Bayou Barbie,” which became popular while she was attending Louisiana State University.
Caitlin Clark receives a technical foul after colliding with an opponent.
Shortly after being drafted by Sky, she said she would also be known as “Chi Barbie.”
Reese and Clark went head-to-head in the 2023 NCAA Division I women’s basketball national championship, where Reese and LSU defeated Clark and Iowa, but the Hokies prevailed in the Elite Eight in early April.
Reese pointing at her ring finger in the final moments of the 2023 national title game was an unforgettable sight, and since that moment, the rivalry between Reese and Clark has been widely discussed.
Dallas, Texas, April 2, 2023. Louisiana State Lady Tigers forward Angel Reese (10) gestures to Iowa Hokies guard Caitlin Clark (22) after a final round game in the NCAA Women’s Final Four tournament at the American Airlines Center. (Kevin Jairaj-USA Today Sports)
Both players say they respect each other’s game and that the rivalry is not bitter or personal.
“Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other,” Reese said during the NCAA Tournament in April. “I want everybody to understand that. It’s just a super competitive game. If I get between the lines, I don’t have friends. I have a lot of friends on the court that I talk to outside of the game, but if I get between the lines, we’re not friends. We’re not buddies. I’m gonna call you names. I’m gonna do anything to get in your head the whole game, but I’m gonna kick your ass when the game is over.”
Indiana Fever’s No. 22, Caitlin Clark, shoots a free throw during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 28, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (AJ Mast/NBAE via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Clark praised Reese’s competitive spirit, saying, “Me and Angel have always been great competitors.”
Clark added that great talent and competition are helping to raise the level of women’s basketball.
“The biggest thing is that women’s basketball is in really great shape.” Clark says March.
Reese is averaging 11 points and 8.2 rebounds through her first six games in the WNBA and said she is enjoying the transition from college to the pros.
“It’s awesome,” Reese told ESPN. “I’ve been able to impact the game in different ways, understand the transitions, be patient with myself and just be patient with it all. I’ve just been able to enjoy the game and get better every game.”
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Clark is averaging 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game, including a career-high 30 points in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks on May 28.
The nationally televised match will have a kickoff time of 12pm ET.
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