Caitlin Clark delivered the pinpoint passes. Angel Reese supplied the hustle and rebounding. The two WNBA rookies made life difficult for the U.S. Olympic team. Someday soon, the duo might be the ones providing the highlights for the red, white, and blue.
Ms. Clark finished with a team-high 10 assists while Ms. Reese added 12 points and 11 rebounds in the WNBA All-Stars’ 117-109 victory over the Americans during All-Star weekend. Arike Ogunbowale set the WNBA All-Star scoring record with 34 points. Team USA used the game as a tune-up for the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.
Ms. Clark and Ms. Reese teamed up for the first time after being rivals in college. Ms. Reese’s LSU Tigers topped Ms. Clark’s Iowa team for the national championship in 2023. The Hawkeyes knocked out the Tigers this past year in the Elite Eight.
“Everybody can wear their ‘Get Along’ shirts together for one day, at least,” Ms. Reese said, joking, before the game. “So I know a lot of people are going to come and watch us, to see all of us. But there’s a lot of talent within both rosters of the teams, so they’re in for a good one.”
While there has been so much hype on the pair entering the WNBA, the duo has shown they can compete with the best players in the league. That’s helped show this isn’t just a moment for the WNBA, but a larger movement for the sport.
“I definitely think it’s much more than women’s basketball. I think you look across the board at all women’s sports, and people are really invested in it and show up for it,” Ms. Clark said.
“Obviously, women’s basketball has kind of been at the forefront of all of it. And for good reason, as it should across the board, whether it’s college women’s basketball or the WNBA. The talent level has been really good.”
While both Ms. Clark and Ms. Reese have been challenged through physical play on the court and a lot of noise off the court during their rookie season, they’ve flourished.
“I told Angel at the draft that I’m not trying to put anything heavy on her, but this league depends on you playing, you know, well. And she understood, she understood that things weren’t going to be handed to her,” said WNBA union president and Seattle Storm center Nneka Ogwumike. “I think that’s why she’s doing well. I think there were a lot of naysayers and I think there was a lot of debris coming Caitlin’s way, and they’ve handled it well.”
The pair have helped the league to record ratings and attendance through the first part of the season, building on what they achieved in college. Ms. Clark finished as the NCAA’s Division I all-time scoring leader and won an NCAA championship at LSU.
The pair’s success so far in their rookie season potentially helped increase the value of the WNBA for its new media right’s deal that is worth a reported $2.2 billion over 11 years.
“They are handling it the best that they can and it’s always good that they can back it up,” said Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson. “To actually be good at what they do is important because it wouldn’t be good if they weren’t and no one wants to see you play.”
Ms. Reese is currently second in the league in rebounding (11.9) and Ms. Clark is tops in assists (8.2), according to the WNBA. She just broke the league’s single-game assist mark with 19 against Dallas in Indiana’s last game before the Olympic break. Ms. Reese already broke the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles in a season with 15.
Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, and Skylar Diggins-Smith were among the college players who had major hype entering the 2013 WNBA draft. The trio have had stellar WNBA careers, but didn’t move the needle the same way Ms. Clark, Ms. Reese, and the rest of this rookie class have so far.
“We saw what they could do and why wouldn’t it translate over?” Ms. Griner said. “They put in all the hard work and they do everything. They’re not just running on media, they actually play hard, too. I’m just happy that there’s validation for all those people that had doubts.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
