Angel Reese attracted a lot of negative attention for standing up and applauding when Caitlin Clark fell victim to a flagrant foul on Saturday, but rather than trying to rectify that “bad guy” image, she’s leaning into it.
Reiss spoke to reporters on Monday about the aftermath of Saturday’s game, but she also spoke about the state of the WNBA and who is responsible for the league’s sudden rise in popularity.
“It all started with the national championship game,” Reese said. “I’ve been working on this for two years now. Sure, there may be negative things said about me, but I’m willing to accept it, honestly. Because look at what’s going on with women’s basketball. People that you wouldn’t expect to talk about women’s basketball are talking about women’s basketball.”
Angel Reese believes the physical play Caitlin Clark has experienced is nothing new to the WNBA.
Just moreὄ
“The reason we watch women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person. It’s also because of me. I want people to understand that.”
more: https://t.co/3fNUxipTTD pic.twitter.com/1YbGG4mWuL
— GNSportsTV (@GNSportsTV) June 3, 2024
“People come to the game just for one game. Celebrities come to the game. Arenas are sold out. Look at that. I take on that role. I take on the role of the bad guy. And I will continue to take on that role and continue to be the bad guy to my teammates. I will go down in history, if that’s what I want it to be. When we look back 20 years from now, we’ll see that the reason we watch women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person, it’s also because of me. I want people to understand that.”
There is some truth to what Reese says. Six different networks Record numbers There was a drop in the number of players playing in WNBA games midway through the season, and while Caitlin Clark was a major factor in that, there were other players who performed well in games she wasn’t involved in.
But Clark’s impact is keenly felt when you look at the attendance figures.
Attendance figures for non-Kaitlyn Clark WNBA games last weekend:
7,638
4,015
9,878
7,035
3,265
10,207
7,024Attendance figures for last weekend’s Caitlin Clark WNBA games:
17,274
17,401 https://t.co/JyxdFe8FwQ— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) June 3, 2024
So what’s the final verdict? No one is seriously talking about a WNBA comeback without Caitlin Clark. And it probably won’t make much of a difference without Angel Reese.
