PHOENIX (AP) — Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will be back in the spotlight during All-Star Weekend when they face the U.S. Olympic team.
They are First team up Reese was named to the WNBA All-Star team following their college rivalry. Reese's LSU Tigers beat Clark's Iowa team to play in the national championship game in 2023. Last year, the Hokies beat the Tigers in the Elite Eight.
There have been many topics discussed so far, Pairs entering the WNBAThe two proved they could hold their own against the best in the league, helping to show that this wasn't just a flash in the pan for the WNBA, but a larger movement in sports.
“I don't think this is unique to women's basketball. If you look across women's sports, people are really committed and showing up to games,” Clark said. “Obviously, women's basketball has been at the forefront of all sports, and rightly so. Whether it's women's college basketball or the WNBA, across the board, the talent level is really high.”
Clark and Reese both struggled during their rookie seasons with the intensity of the game on the court and the rowdiness off it, but they thrived.
“What I said to Angel when she was drafted is, I don't want to put a burden on her, but this league depends on her play, and she understands that things aren't going to come easy,” said WNBA union president and Seattle Storm center Nneka Ogwumike. “I think that's why she's done so well. I think there was a lot of naysayers and a lot of criticism of Kaitlyn, but they handled it well.”
The pair built on their collegiate accomplishments to help set ratings and attendance records throughout the first half of the season, with Clark becoming NCAA Division I's all-time leading scorer and winning an NCAA championship with LSU.
The success of both players so far in their rookie seasons could help them improve their value in the WNBA. New Media Rights Deals Its value is reported to be worth $2.2 billion in 11 years.
“They're handling it the best they can and it's always good to have them back that up,” Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson said. “It's important that they actually do their job well because if they don't it's not good and nobody's going to want to watch them play.”
Reese currently leads the league in rebounds and Clark leads the league in assists, having just broken the league's single-game record. Assist Mark 19 Reese will face Dallas in Indiana's final game before the Olympic break, having already tied a WNBA record with 15 consecutive double-doubles in a season.
“I never dreamed I'd be in the All-Star Game as a rookie,” said Reese, who made a half-court shot at the end of practice.
Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggin-Smith were college players who drew high expectations when they entered the 2013 WNBA Draft. While all three have had stellar careers in the WNBA, none of them have stood out as much as Clark, Reese and the rest of this rookie class.
“I knew what they were capable of and I knew why it didn't work out,” Griner said. “They work hard, they do whatever it takes, they play hard in practice, not just in the media. I'm glad we've earned the trust of all the doubters.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
