Before Saturday night’s WNBA All-Star game, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark had never been teammates at a high level.
Now they support each other, while wearing the same shirt.
During the first half of Saturday’s mega-exhibition, Clark dribbled onto the field and had a half-open look from far beyond the perimeter.
That’s Clark’s range in college and the WNBA to make long-range shots. In preparation for the Indiana Fever star to rise from 3-point range, Reese stood up from her seat on the bench and held up three fingers in excitement.
Clark didn’t see Reese and decided to pass the ball to a teammate, forcing Reese to sit down.
Clark and Reese were teammates at a high level for the first time on Saturday night
Reese jumped out of her seat for a possible 3-point shot from Clark during the All-Star game
The rivalry between Clark and Reese is well documented at the college and professional levels.
In addition to the 2023 national championship game between Reese’s LSU and Clark’s Iowa, the Tigers and Hawkeyes also met in the Elite Eight earlier this year. Iowa won, ending LSU’s bid to regain the title in what turned out to be Reese’s final college game.
Clark was drafted six spots ahead of Reese in the WNBA Draft in April, and the two have faced each other three times as professionals.
Clark’s Indiana Fever won the first two matchups, with Reese’s Chicago Sky emerging victorious in the most recent matchup. Those games were filled with tense moments between Clark and a Sky player.
On June 1, Clark was bodychecked by Chennedy Carter, an action that was seen by fans as an act inconsistent with the basketball team’s good intentions.
Carter declined to answer questions about the matter during a post-game press conference, but he reiterated his words online: “What else does she have to offer besides three-pointers?” on Threads.
On June 16, Reese committed a major foul on Clark when the former LSU star missed a block attempt and struck Clark in the head with her arm, sending her rival to the ground in pain.
Reese also spoke negatively about Clark and her team to the press, claiming they had a “special whistle.”
However, it appears that the mutual animosity between Clark and Reese only exists as adversaries.