Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese BOTH set WNBA All-Star Game records on historic night for rookie sensations
On a spectacular night for the WNBA All-Stars, who defeated Team USA in the league’s All-Star game, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both set records themselves.
The two highest-profile rookies and rivals in the WNBA were part of the victorious side in Phoenix despite neither making the Olympic roster for the Americans.
Clark set the rookie record for assists in an All-Star Game, with 10. She fell two assists shy of the all-time All-Star Game record, 12, held by Sue Bird.
Bird was sat courtside for the game alongside her wife and soccer legend Megan Rapinoe.
Reese became the first rookie to record a double-double in WNBA All-Star Game history.
The Chicago Sky star has 12 points and 11 rebounds in the 117-109 win for the WNBA-All Stars over Team USA.
Clark and Reese’s rivalry has been well-documented at the college and professional levels.
Clark and Reese’s rivalry has been well-documented at the college and professional levels
Aside from the 2023 national championship game between Reese’s LSU and Clark’s Iowa, the Tigers and Hawkeyes also met in the Elite Eight earlier this year, with Iowa winning ending LSU’s repeat title attempt in what ended up being Reese’s final college game.
Clark was drafted six spots higher than Reese at April’s WNBA Draft, with the pair already facing off three times as professionals.
Clark’s Indiana Fever won the first two matchups, with Reese’s Chicago Sky coming out victorious in the most-recent matchup. Those games were full of tense moments between Clark and a Sky player.
On June 1, Clark was body-checked by Chennedy Carter, in a move dubbed by fans to not be in good faith with basketball.
Carter refused to answer any questions on the matter in a post-game press conference, but did double down online stating ‘beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man’ on Threads.
On June 16, Reese committed a flagrant foul to Clark when the former LSU star missed a block attempt and swatted Clark in the head with her arm, sending her rival to the ground in pain.
Reese also bad-mouthed Clark and her team to the press, stating they had a ‘special whistle’.
However, it appears whatever bad blood exists between Clark and Reese is only as opponents.
