Angel Reese gushes over Caitlin Clark as she put rivalries aside at last week’s WNBA Draft

Angel Reese has put aside her rivalry with Caitlin Clark as ‘Bayou Barbie’ spoke out about ‘all the girls’ she met at the 2024 WNBA Draft, and jokes she needs a new nickname after being picked by the Chicago Sky .

The 21-year-old Reese, who was selected with the seventh overall pick by Chicago last week out of Brooklyn, is now teammates with Kamilla Cardoso – another top WNBA prospect who just won the NCAA women’s tournament with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Cardoso, the third overall pick, also emerged victorious from March Madness with South Carolina in 2022.

“The best part of the weekend in New York was getting to know all the girls after being so competitive the past four years!!” Reese shared this on X on Wednesday, two days after the WNBA Draft took place on April 15.

The former LSU forward added, “everyone had such a vibe and we all had so much FUN, which just shows how competitive we all are ON THE COURT!! NOTHING IS PERSONAL!!!’

The 21-year-old former LSU star was selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 7 overall pick

Reese, Clark, Cardoso and other prospects who were part of a deep WNBA Draft class this year will hope that the momentum they created to take women’s basketball to new heights will carry over to the pros.

“We’re not just basketball players, we have a huge impact on the community, the people around us, the little kids that look up to us, and because we can be rural, everyone knows us everywhere we go,” Reese said. on Trek evening.

‘Our lives are not normal. We might get a little bit of normalcy now going into the competition, but I’m just excited to be a pioneer. I’m excited to be a part of history and just continue to see the future, and I know it’s bright.”

They will need to perform on the pitch to maintain that momentum to continue at the next level and boost the league, which is coming off its own strong year. The WNBA just had its most-watched season in 21 years, with an average of 462,000 viewers per game on ABC, ESPN and CBS.

The competition also had its most watched finals in twenty years, with Las Vegas and New York, and was won by the Aces. The number of viewers was up 36 percent compared to the previous season. League attendance rose 16 percent – ​​the highest figure since 2018. Throw in Clark and that number could grow exponentially.

But in the meantime, Reese will take any nickname suggestions to heart as she looks forward to her new life in Chicago, which won the 2021 WNBA championship. The Sky went 18-22 last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

“I need a new name now that I’m in Chicago, lol,” Reese shared on X on Wednesday. “Something cute and catchy, like Bayou Barbie.”

Reese is expected to make her WNBA debut when the Sky take on the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on May 15.