NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has only nice things to say about WNBA‘s Indiana Fever’s star Caitlin Clark, who many see as the top rival of Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese. While Reese and O’Neal have a strong bond, she even calls him her “uncle,” that doesn’t mean that the Hall of Famer can’t praise Clark, whom he called the “real deal.”
According to USA Today, O’Neal was impressed by Clark’s performance when Indiana defeated Chicago on August 30 for the final matchup of the 2024 season. The Fever dominated the game, winning 100-81, led by a career-high 31 points and 12 assists from Clark. Reese finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
“When I see stuff on TV, I’m like, OK, I’d like to see it in person. Well, I saw it in person,” O’Neal said about Clark. “She can play … from a basketball standpoint, she makes all the right plays, gets everybody involved, and she has that Steph Curry (shooting) range,” he said per the outlet.
On the other hand, O’Neal believes that the rivalry between Reese and Clark is going to be “good for the game” as they will be “forever” linked, which will be keep the interest in the WNBA.
Angel Reese (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
“You can make little games of it. In college, Angel’s up one (because of winning a national championship). Now you can say, OK, Caitlin’s in the playoffs, is Angel going to make the playoffs? Little games that you can play that keep their names going. I’m happy for both of them, I’m happy for women’s sports,” he explained.
WNBA’s rookie of the year battle is a close one
The 2024 Rookie of the Year race is expected to narrow down to Reese and Clark. With Clark’s Fever clinching a playoff berth and winning three out of four games against the Sky, many anticipate Clark will take the award.
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WNBA News: Angel Reese is officially out for Chicago Sky with season ending injury
Reese’s chances took a hit when she recently revealed she would miss the remainder of the season due to a wrist injury that requires surgery. Before the announcement, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft was leading the league with an average of 13.1 rebounds per game.
