Caitlin Clark NOT the only reason for WNBA's popularity surge, Angel Reese okay being ‘bad guy’ in longstanding rivalry
Angel Reese addressed Caitlin Clark rivalry for the first time since the controversial Saturday game and being fined for her unavailability to the media.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark's rivalry lives on off-court as the Chicago Sky rookie calls out the WNBA's rising popularity being attributed to just "one person.
Just days after her first professional face-off against Clark, which significantly gained even more traction with the swirling controversy around her teammate's hefty foul on the Indiana Fever #22, Reese spoke out against the raging crossfire. The Fever vs Sky Saturday churned out piping-hot drama as Carter's cheap shot, which was upgraded to a flagrant upon further review, resulted in fuming heat headed towards the LSU star following her reaction to the shoulder hit.
Clark and Reese also butted heads on the court that day. However, the issue blew up like wildfire when the latter WNBA star failed to comply with the league's media policies and remained absent during postgame media interactions. The Chicago Sky forward and her team were eventually fined for the same reason, with a $1,000 penalty issued for Reese and $5,000 for her team.
Also read | Hip Hop icon Method Man is possibly ‘#NeverComingBack’ to Summer Jam again, here's why
Angel Reese faces the media for the first time since Saturday Chicago Sky vs Indiana Fever game
Addressing Caitlin Clark rivalry, the the 2024 draft's No. 7 pick told reporters on Monday she would willingly “take the bad guy role” if it resulted in the WNBA's growth and more visible media boost. Facing the media for the first time since the Indiana Fever game on Saturday, Reese highlighted how the arrival of the illustrious 2024 WNBA rookie class, sprinkled with her longstanding, head-turning rivalry with Clark since college days, was attracting more eyeballs to the women's sport more than ever.
“Look where women’s basketball is. People are talking about women’s basketball that you never would think would be talking about women’s basketball,” she said while recalling how even celebrities were pulling up to the games with sold-out arenas.
Also read | US teacher suspended over ‘mock slave auction,' using racial slur in class
Distantly referencing her team, LSU's triumph over Clark's University of Iowa in the 2023 NCAA championship game, Reese redirected the credit for the sport's booming popularity to herself, too. She asserted, “I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me, too,’ and I want y’all to realize that.”
Continuing on the same page, she added, “A lot of us have done so much for this game… there are so many great players in this league that have deserved this for a really, really long time, and luckily, it's coming now.”
Though Chennedy Carter previously refused to answer questions related to Clark, the Sky shooting guard also addressed the media on Monday, stating she had “no regret” about what transpired during the Saturday game.
“I’m going to compete and play 100% hard no matter who it is or who we’re playing… At the end of the day, it’s all love outside of basketball. When we’re in those four lines, it’s smoke. After, it’s all love,” Carter said.
On the other hand, Chicago Sky coach Terese Weatherspoom condemned Carter's actions during the Fever game as “not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are.”
While Sky lost its first match against Fever by a narrow 71-70 margin, both teams are scheduled to butt heads on multiple occasions this season. Clark's squad is set to face the Washington Mystics on June 8, whereas Reese's team will go up against New York Liberty on June 5.
