Two of the most popular women’s college basketball players are now two of the most polarizing figures in the WNBA. From opponents to teammates, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were on the same bench during last weekend’s WNBA All-Star Game.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have seen their share of matchups over the past 3 years with Angel Reese and LSU beating the Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 NCAAW Championship. Clark got a bit of revenge in 2024, with the Hawkeyes eliminating Reese and the LSU Tigers in the Elite 8.

In the WNBA, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have faced off against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky 3 times. The Fever has won two of those matchups with all 3 games being close at the end.

Rivalry

It’s easy to understand why basketball fans view this matchup as a rivalry. These two top-tier players have faced off in some of the biggest games in college basketball and I think it would be safe to assume they will see each other during their professional careers in the WNBA playoffs.

While fans might view this as a rivalry, I’m curious if we make a bigger deal out of this than they do. They each want to win when they play against each other but do they genuinely dislike each other?

During the WNBA All-Star Game, Angel was asked what it was like to be Caitlin’s teammate.

“It’s so cool, when she gets the ball I’m running looking for the ball because I know she’s gonna throw it, she’s been great to play with. Hopefully, in 4 years we’ll be Olympians together.”

It’s easy for athletes to say and do the right things when the cameras are on and they have a microphone in front of their faces but I think Angel is being genuine when she says it’s fun playing with Caitlin. Why wouldn’t it be? Caitlin is one of the most dynamic and unique basketball players in the world.

She also brings up the Olympics. There’s no doubt that Caitlin and Angel are the future of USA Women’s Olympic basketball. They will both be on the team at some point but it was fun to get a small glimpse of what that might look like. There was a cool moment with Caitlin getting an assist for this pass to Angel and they shared a quick high-five after the play.

Do fans build up this rivalry more than they do? Probably. While they surely want to beat each other, I think they respect each other and appreciate how good one another is at basketball. They’re both incredibly competitive people and to be a pro athlete, you have to be uber competitive.

We may see occasional fireworks when they play against each other but it will be pretty fun to watch them play together at some point when they both make an Olympic roster. We got a tiny glimpse of what that might look like at this past weekend’s WNBA All-Star Game.