Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese have been in the center of the WNBA’s growing popularity during this past year. With their rivalry being heightened by media and fans, both stars have to endure comparisons and insults. However, Reese has found a healthy way to deal with the noise.
The Sky forward opened up with the Wall Street Journal about how she deals with the comparison off the court. “I try to separate myself from everybody else and try to be me, and not focus on what everybody else is doing,” she said in a video shared by the WSJ.
“I think that’s why people love me, for who I am, because I’m not the same as the next person. And I think that’s special. You don’t want the same person, you don’t want everybody to be the same,” she added.
“And just being able to step out of my comfort zone and being able to speak on things that others may not be wanting to speak on, or just being able to do things that a lot of people are scared to do. I think being able to wake up everyday and know that I inspire a lot of young women is just something I look forward to doing,” she concluded.
Both athletes were chosen in the first round of the draft, and they both had strong seasons. While they were both aiming for the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, it was Clark who finally took the prize, boosted by Fever reaching the Playoffs. Meanwhile, Reese had to end her season early due to a wrist injury.
Reese also opened up about her hand gesture
Before playing in the WNBA, Reese and Clark already had a rivalry in the NCAA championship. In the 2023 Final, Reese, at the time playing for LSU, waved her hand in front of her face while glaring at Iowa’s Clark. The Chicago Sky star opened up about what she thinks of that moment now.
“Me and Caitlin have played against each other since we were kids. It’s just a full-circle moment of how women are viewed when it comes to trash-talking,” she told the outlet. “It’s OK in men’s sports. We’re going to normalize that in women’s sports as well. So it’s just super-competitive. I think we’re two great competitors,” she said.
“We brought a lot of fans to this league,” she said of her and Clark’s WNBA rookie season “And I think we’re going to continue to do that. And one day, hopefully, we’ll be teammates,” she said, showing her respect for her rival and colleague.