Angel Reese’s latest statement about Caitlin Clark is going viral—and people may be misinterpreting what she had to say.
On July 20, the WNBA star rookies will join forces to play against Team USA at the 2024 All-Star game. This team-up is perhaps even more anticipated than their face-off against the Olympic roster.
That’s because the Internet has been fighting over Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark since their college days—starting with their infamous NCAA championship game in 2023, which caused such a stir that their 2024 Final Four rematch drew 12.3 million viewers, briefly becoming the ESPN’s most-watched women’s college basketball game ever.
The discourse over the 22-year-old players has become even more toxic since they entered the WNBA in May. Most recently, fans have been arguing over who should win Rookie of the Year: Reese with her record-breaking double-double streak or Clark, who recently broke the league’s assists record after becoming the first rookie in the league to record a triple double?
Reese herself is “looking forward” to playing with Clark tonight. “Everyone can wear their get-along shirts together for one day at least,” Reese joked when asked about their matchup on July 19. “I know a lot of people are gonna watch us.”
While many fans on social media have interpreted Reese’s light-hearted statement as a sign that Reese and Clark don’t typically “get along” or that she “announced [a] one-day truce,” as one publication claimed, this seems more like a message to their die-hard fans: It’s time to come together.
What did Clark say about their so-called “rivalry” during a press conference just last month? Oh yeah: “I’m pretty sure the only people that view this as a rivalry is all of you. Like, to us it’s just a game of basketball.”
For those keeping track, Reese already expressed excitement about playing with Clark two weeks ago. “I know so many fans are gonna come out to watch both of us,” Reese told NBA Today on July 10, per CBS Sports.
“I know a lot of people are just gonna come to Phoenix, I’m sure it’s already sold out. Being able to be in that environment, we’re gonna be playing together for a while so this is not gonna be the [last] time. I know we’ll be All-Stars again, and hopefully, in 2028 we’ll be Olympians together.”
In fact, Angel Reese has been wanting to play with Caitlin Clark since their college days. “I love Caitlin,” Reese said in 2023, per one X.com video shared by Bleacher Report. “One day, hopefully me and her can be teammates. Because, I mean, she is a great player and a great shooter and a great person and a great teammate.”
Meanwhile, Clark said it’s “gonna be fun” to play with the Chicago Sky forward. “Obviously, as two rookies getting to share this experience for the first time—it’s super rare to be here as a rookie—Then to have two of us here, it’s just really great overall,” she said in her own pre-All-Star game press conference on July 19.
“Obviously, the fans are very excited about it, but I’m excited to share the court, honestly, with everybody.”
You can watch the WNBA All-Star game on July 20 at 8:30pm ET on ABC.
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Source: The Wall Street Journal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6zsVZYltgQ
