Angel Reese thinks it’s “just competition” when it comes to her and Caitlin Clark.
After the Chicago Sky’s 88-87 win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday, ESPN’s Holly Rowe asked Reese about the “budding rivalry” between the rookies.
“It’s just a competition,” Reese responded. “I mean, they still beat us and they’re better than us, so I’m happy for my team and I’m happy for us. Chicago came out on top tonight, so I’m happy for us.”
Reese, 22, had a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Sky to their first win in three games against the Fever this season.
Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, recorded a rookie-record eight consecutive double-doubles.
The Sky forward sparked a comeback from a 15-point deficit in the second half.
“I’m a dog, you can’t teach that,” Rees said when asked by Rowe about organizing the rally.
Clark finished with 17 points and a franchise-record 13 assists, but some questioned why he only took two shots in the final seven minutes of the game.
The Fever guard was asked before the game about the rivalry between the two rookie phenoms.
“I think it’s just you guys (the media) that are looking at this as a rivalry. For us, it’s just a basketball game. That’s the reality. If it helps move the game forward, then yeah…” Clark said.
Clarke retains bragging rights after the Fever won their first two games against the Sky this season.
Unlike the first two meetings between the two teams, Sunday’s game didn’t feature any major physical clashes.
In the first meeting of the season, Chennedy Carter took Clark to the ground with a blindside hip check in Indiana’s 71-70 win, but the foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul the next day.
In the second game, Reese committed a flagrant foul by hitting Clark in the head, leading to a 91-83 Indiana victory.
Clark and Reese had a rivalry dating back to their days at the University of Iowa and Louisiana State University.
Reese and LSU defeated Clark’s Iowa team in the 2023 NCAA championship game, with Reese taunting Clark in the final seconds.
Clark avenged that loss in the Elite Eight in March, scoring 41 points.
Now, as they continue to garner attention as WNBA rookies, both players downplay the rivalry that helped soar in popularity for the sport.
The fourth and final match between the two teams is scheduled to take place in Chicago on August 30th.
