The roar of the crowd in Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse echoed long after the final buzzer. It was a sound that, just a year ago, would have seemed impossible for a WNBA regular season game, especially in a market as unassuming as Indianapolis. But this was no ordinary season. This was the year Caitlin Clark arrived.
Caitlin Clark’s rise had been meteoric—breaking records at Iowa, dazzling fans with logo threes, and bringing a new kind of electricity to women’s basketball. She didn’t just play; she transformed the game, and in the process, she became a phenomenon. Ticket prices soared, arenas sold out, and, perhaps most telling of all, her Indiana Fever jersey became the hottest commodity in sports.
It was the holiday season, and the league had just released its jersey sales numbers. The news rippled through the sports world: Caitlin Clark’s #22 jersey wasn’t just the top seller in the WNBA, it was the second best-selling basketball jersey in the entire United States—behind only Steph Curry, the NBA’s golden child.
For Angel Reese, the news landed with a thud. She scrolled through her phone, the headlines impossible to ignore: “Clark Crushes Jersey Sales,” “Clark Second Only to Curry,” “The Clark Effect.” She tossed her phone onto the hotel bed and stared at the ceiling, the glow of the city lights flickering through the curtains.
Angel was no stranger to attention. She’d been a star at LSU, her confidence and charisma making her a household name before she’d even played a minute as a pro. Her social media was a stream of viral highlights, interviews, and TikTok dances. She was bold, unapologetic, and had no problem reminding the world that women’s basketball was bigger than any one player.
But as the season wore on, something was changing. The spotlight, once shared, now seemed to follow Clark everywhere. The Fever’s games were suddenly national events. Clark’s face was on billboards, her name trending during every game. And now, her jersey was outselling not just the rest of the WNBA, but nearly the entire NBA as well.
Angel’s own jersey sales? Not even in the top ten.
She tried to brush it off, posting a tweet: “We got to do something.” Her fans rallied behind her, flooding the comments with support, but the numbers told a different story. The league’s new heartbeat was wearing #22, and everyone knew it.
Back in Iowa, a young girl named Lily waited in line at a sporting goods store, clutching her Christmas money and hoping there would still be a Clark jersey left in her size. The line snaked around the block, filled with kids and parents, all eager to grab a piece of the new icon. When Lily finally reached the register, the clerk shook his head apologetically. “Sorry, kid. Sold out again. She’s just… different.”
Lily nodded, disappointed but not surprised. She’d watched Clark hit impossible shots on TV, had tried to mimic her moves in the driveway, and now just wanted to wear her idol’s number to practice. Clark wasn’t just a player—she was an aspiration, a reason to believe that anything was possible.
Meanwhile, the league office buzzed with activity. Executives pored over sales charts and TV ratings, marveling at the “Clark Effect.” For years, they’d tried to grow the WNBA’s audience, to break into new markets and make women’s basketball must-see entertainment. Now, one rookie had done all of that—and more—in a matter of months.
Endorsement deals rolled in: Nike, Gatorade, State Farm, Panini. Clark wasn’t just appearing in commercials—she was the commercial. Her impact was tangible, her appeal undeniable. She’d taken a so-called “small market” and turned it into the epicenter of the sport.
But not everyone was celebrating.
Angel Reese’s frustration simmered beneath the surface. In interviews, she spoke about the importance of lifting the whole league, of recognizing the contributions of every player. “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,’” she said, refusing to mention Clark by name. “It’s because of me too, and I want you to realize that.”
Her supporters echoed her sentiment online, arguing that culture was more than numbers, that social media influence mattered just as much as ticket sales. They pointed to her viral moments, her activism, her charisma.
But the league’s accountants, the arena managers, and the kids in line for jerseys knew the truth. Influence wasn’t just about buzz—it was about who filled the seats, who drove the ratings, who made fans care enough to spend their hard-earned money.
And in that arena, Clark was untouchable.
The rivalry between Clark and Reese was never just about basketball. It was about identity, about who got to shape the narrative of the league’s future. Reese, with her swagger and social presence, represented a new generation—bold, outspoken, unafraid. Clark, with her poise, skill, and focus, was rewriting the rules of what a women’s basketball superstar could be.
But while Reese debated her place in the conversation, Clark let her game do the talking. She broke records, shattered expectations, and inspired a wave of new fans. Every time she hit a logo three or threaded a pass through traffic, the crowd erupted—not just in Indiana, but across the country.
One night, after a Fever win, Clark was asked about her jersey sales. She smiled, humble as ever. “It’s an honor, honestly. But I just want to play basketball and help my team win. If that inspires people, that’s the real victory.”
The cameras flashed, the headlines rolled out, and somewhere in Iowa, Lily finally found a Clark jersey in her size. She wore it to practice the next day, hitting her first shot from the parking lot and grinning as her teammates cheered.
In the end, the numbers didn’t lie. Clark wasn’t just the story of the season—she was the story of the sport. Her jersey sales, her impact, her ability to draw fans from every corner of the country had changed the game forever.
Angel Reese would keep fighting, keep pushing, keep making her voice heard. But for now, the league belonged to Clark—and the world was watching.
Because in basketball, as in life, the scoreboard tells the truth. And right now, the name on everyone’s back was Clark.
Angel Reese addresses Caitlin Clark rivalry after dominant performance
Angel Reese thinks it’s “just competition” when it comes to her and Caitlin Clark.
After the Chicago Sky’s thrilling 88-87 victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday, ESPN’s Holly Rowe asked Reese about the “budding rivalry” between the rookies.
“It’s just competition,” Reese responded. “I mean, they still got us, they are one up on us. So I’m just happy for the team. And I want to make it about us. Chicago, they came out tonight, so I’m just happy for us.”
Reese, 22, finished with a career-high 2 points and 16 rebounds, guiding the Sky to their first win in three tries against the Fever this season.
Angel Reese ( ) reacts during the Sky’s win over the Fever on June 23, 2024.Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Caitlin Clark reacts during the Fever’s loss to the Sky on June 23, 2024.Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, has now notched a rookie record eight straight double-doubles.
The Sky forward initiated a comeback from a 1 -point second-half deficit.
“I’m a dog; you can’t teach that,” Reese said when asked by Rowe about engineering the rally.
Clark finished the game with 17 points and a franchise-record 13 assists, though some questioned her only taking two shots in the final seven minutes of the game.
The Fever guard was asked about the rivalry between the two rookie phenoms before the game.
“I’m pretty sure the only people that view this as a rivalry is all of you (media). For us, it’s just a game of basketball. That’s what it is. If it’s gonna help move the game forward, absolutely…” Clark said.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese reacting after fouling Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark on June 16, 2024.Getty Images
Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark and LSU Tiger Angel Reese playing in NCAA finals.Getty Images
Clark retains bragging rights with the Fever winning the first two games against the Sky this season.
Unlike the first two matchups between the teams, Sunday’s game lacked any major physical confrontations.
In their first matchup of the season, Chennedy Carter knocked Clark to the ground with a blindside hip-check in Indiana’s 71-70 win, a foul that was upgraded to a flagrant the following day.
In the second game, Reese committed a flagrant foul by whacking Clark in the head during a 91-83 Indiana triumph.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese fouls Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.Getty Images
Clark and Reese have had a rivalry since their college days at Iowa and LSU.
Reese and LSU beat Clark’s Iowa team in the NCAA Championship Game in 2023, with Reese taunting Clark in the final seconds.
Clark scored 41 points in avenging that loss in the Elite Eight in March.
Now, as WNBA rookies, while they continue to be at the center of attention, both are downplaying a rivalry that has helped skyrocket the sport’s popularity.
The fourth and final showdown between the two teams is set for Aug. 30 in Chicago.
