Angel Reese said she plans to end her rivalry with Caitlin Clark, but admitted it may be time to do so.
“That’s what people want to see,” Reese told ESPN on Friday before performing with Clark at Saturday night’s WNBA All-Star Game. “I’m looking forward to it. At least for one day we can all wear our ‘Get Along’ shirts together.”
“So a lot of people are going to come to watch us play, they’re going to come to watch all of us, but there’s a lot of talent on both teams so it’s going to be a good game.”
The transition of intercollegiate rivalries into the WNBA has contributed greatly to the growth the league has achieved in recent months.
The June 23 matchup between the Fever and Sky was one of three so far this season and was the most-watched WNBA game in the past 23 years, with 2.302 million viewers on ESPN.
This comes after Clark’s 91-83 win over Reese’s on June 16th averaged 2.25 million viewers and peaked at 3 million.
Reese also received a flagrant foul in the third quarter of a June 16 game when he hit No. 1 draft pick Clark in the head while attempting to block a shot by the forward.
The Fever won two of their three games against the Sky to climb the standings and qualify for the playoffs.
However, the Sky are just one seed behind.
The pair are the first rookies to participate in the WNBA All-Star Game since 2014.
“We haven’t talked about it yet, but obviously everyone will be there for one day supporting both of us, which is awesome. I’m excited. This will be the first of many,” Reese told ESPN on Friday.
“We’ll be on the All-Star team together in the future, and (fingers crossed) we’ll be on the Olympic team together in the future. I’m just excited to be here right now. I’m happy.”
On Thursday, Clark predicted how Reese will perform in the All-Star Game.
“She’s definitely going to lead the game in rebounds, that’s what I expect from her, that’s what she does,” Clark said Thursday night.
Reese at her WNBA team’s practice on Friday. He had previously expressed the same sentiment, saying he was looking forward to teaming up after beating Clark in a friendly half-court shot contest.
“It’s pretty unusual to be here as a rookie and it’s just really awesome overall that we’re both here,” the Fever star told reporters on Friday. “I think this will continue to help grow the sport.”
After the All-Star Game, the WNBA will take a break until Aug. 15 for the Olympics, providing a much-needed break for rookies who jumped straight from college to the pro game.
Neither Reese nor Clark will play for the U.S. team in Paris.
“I’ve been playing basketball all year,” Clark said, “but it’s not easy to just go out there and shoot from the rack. It’s something I’ve never done before and I haven’t had much time to practice.”
