Basketball Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson has weighed in on the rivalry between Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese.
The Clark/Reese rivalry has taken on a life of its own in the WNBA – and given a whole new level to the already lively rivalry between Chicago and Indiana that was established before the stars were drafted there.
In many ways, it mirrors the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Both were drafted to teams that hated each other in Boston and Los Angeles and both were competitive athletes.
Of course, both the Clark/Reese and Magic/Bird rivalries also had an element of racial tension to them.
So when Magic Johnson took to Twitter on Monday, he couldn’t help but reflect on the rivalry he had and praise the two burgeoning WNBA stars.
Magic Johnson compared Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark’s rivalry to himself and Larry Bird
Clark and Reese added another chapter to their rivalry with their game over the weekend
‘When I think about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and me,’ Johnson said in his post.
‘Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball.
‘Caitlin and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite Eight games were the highest viewership records at the time.’
In a second tweet, he added, ‘Larry and I heightened the NBA’s overall popularity. The Lakers and Celtics sold out arenas throughout the league and increased television viewership exponentially.
‘The higher viewership numbers led to the NBA signing significantly larger TV contracts which then led to higher salaries for the players. Caitlin and Angel are now doing the same thing, selling out arenas and increasing the viewership.
‘They have taken women’s basketball by storm and with expiring TV deals on the horizon, the WNBA is now in a position to negotiate higher TV contracts and increase salaries for all of the talented players.’
Reese led the Chicago Sky in a comeback win over Clark and the Indiana Fever
In the latest installment of the Clark/Reese rivalry, it was Angel taking bragging rights thanks to a comeback victory over the Fever.
While both rookies played spectacular games in Chicago, the night belonged to Reese, who became the first WNBA rookie to have a 25-plus-point and 15-plus-rebound double-double since A’Ja Wilson.
On the other hand, Clark also put up a double-double with 17 points and a franchise-high 13 assists with six rebounds.
