ALBANY — Who is she? Does Magic Johnson have a ponytail? Pete Maravich with a ponytail? Does Stephen Curry have a ponytail? Choose what you like. At any time, she could be any of them.
The seats inside MVP Arena were filled Saturday with fans young and old wearing No. 22 Iowa State jerseys and shirts, giving showtime to the sport’s MVPs.
And now, No. 22 Caitlin Clark, who won 89-68 over Colorado, and LSU’s Angel Reese, the face of women’s college basketball, are scheduled for a heavyweight showdown on Monday night for a spot in the Final Four. are doing.
Two people who have had such an impact on the WNBA, and could potentially influence the WNBA, that we compare how Larry Bird and Magic Johnson grew the NBA’s viewership and popularity in the 1980s. Charismatic woman.
“The biggest thing is that I think women’s basketball is in a really great place. It’s not just me and Angel, and she would say the exact same thing,” said Clark, wearing a white Elite Eight towel around her neck. Told. “We have a lot of stars in our game. So many young stars, so much young talent, and what we can do with each of our programs is really special and I think we will continue to elevate women’s basketball. I think the way we did it was really great.”
As for Reese’s taunting Clark during LSU’s national championship win over Iowa last season by raising his ring finger at Clark and using John Cena’s “You can’t see me” gesture. Many things will be noticed.
“There’s no rivalry, no, no,” Reese reiterated to me Friday.
I asked her why people think it is. “I think it’s probably because of last year’s game, but I’m not sure,” she said.
When I asked Clark if there was any rivalry between them, she replied: “No, nothing like that.”
They played AAU ball together. If you listen to them, there will be no harm and no foul play. “It’s just two competitive players playing against each other wanting to win,” Reese said.
Caitlin Clark is attractive. She can’t take her eyes off her. She doesn’t want to take her eyes off her.
He is a master basketball player with a rare sixth sense, basketball IQ, and court vision.
She is The Natural.
She plays chess when everyone else is playing checkers.
She’s a 6-foot tall, 155-pound coach on the court.
She fires pinpoint passes to open teammates, sometimes with perfect bounces in her stride.
Her vaunted 3-point shots (3 of 11) missed and meant nothing. She missed her first three threes, but dished out six assists, most in transition, giving Iowa an eight-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
“When people are really running the floor, I want to reward them,” Clark said.
She then made a step-back 3 over Kindil Wetta midway through the second quarter. Then she ran with lightning speed to the hoop to get the bucket.
She had 29 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, and two turnovers in 35 minutes, 47 seconds.
She wore black and gold school color sneakers and made everyone around her better.
She is both fire and ice. The fire of fierce competition is obvious to all, and she has ice in her veins that will never melt, even in her biggest and brightest moments.
“Honestly, when I step on the court, I just feel calm,” she said.
After the game, she spent five minutes courting and courting young fans in the front row of the stands, signing hats, jerseys and other items placed in front of her.
“I think it’s something that never gets old and I always try to make time for the young boys and the young girls,” Clark said. So I love it. ”
After the locker room interview, she returned to her seat and checked her phone.
LSU conceded the winning time to keep UCLA alive, 78-69, and Reese played in front of the LSU crowd at the end, borrowed a pom-pom from one of the cheerleaders, gave a quick cheer in front of the band, and ran to the court. I left.
“We can’t focus on the other teams until we take care of our own business,” Reese said.
LSU handled that task. LSU defeated Iowa 102-85 in the 2023 national championship game despite a night in which Clark scored 30 points.
“We’re the good villains,” Reese said. “coach [Kim Mulkey] She calls us the Beatles because we talk about it all the time. ”
Reese is a 6-foot-3 warrior who can put his will into the paint and the boards.
“I try to have that Kobe mentality where I don’t care who’s in front of me,” Reese said. “I have no friends on the court.”
Of course, neither did Bird and Magic.
