The 2025 WNBA regular season schedule was launched on Monday, and the newest conflict between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will probably be taking place straight away.
Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky will probably be going head-to-head to open their respective seasons on May 17 – sooner or later after the league’s opening slate the day earlier than.
This rivalry that goes again to their school days at Iowa and LSU rapidly translated to the professionals, as drama was seen within the Rookie of the Year race in addition to their matchups on the court docket.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) works to the basket in opposition to Dallas Wings guard Sevgi Uzun within the first half of a WNBA basketball sport Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Clark went on to win Rookie of the Year this previous season after setting quite a few rookie and league data, however Reese quickly made her presence referred to as a fellow WNBA All-Star by impacting Chicago in her inaugural season as properly.
Four conferences between the Fever and Sky have been had final season, and every was extra anticipated than the following as these two tried to greatest each other to assist notch a win for his or her squad.
But it was Clark’s Fever who pulled off three wins out of the 4 conferences. In these video games, although, Reese tallied extra factors and rebounds than Clark, although the ground basic did greatest Reese in assists in all 4 video games.
CAITLIN CLARK IS A BIGGER STAR THAN NBA’S BEST PLAYERS, FAMED PODCAST HOST SAYS
There have been additionally some tense moments in these video games, starting with Reese’s teammate, Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul on Clark early within the season that made nationwide headlines and sparked tons of sports activities debate after the veteran guard checked the rookie to the bottom in what many described as an inexpensive shot.
Then, on June 16, Clark was moving into for a layup in opposition to the Sky when Reese got here flying in to attempt to swat the ball away. Instead, her arm smacked Clark within the head, and she or he went down exhausting.
A flagrant 1 foul was known as on Reese, who needed to defend herself after the sport, saying she was merely making an attempt to make a play on the ball and never making an attempt to harm Clark.
Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese (5) drives to the basket as Los Angeles Sparks’ Dearica Hamby defends throughout the first half of a WNBA basketball sport, May 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
Clark would say the identical factor, understanding Reese was simply making an attempt to assist her staff within the second.
Their performances, each in school and within the execs, have made every of them attain movie star standing that transcends sports activities. Reese even stated on the opening episode of her podcast that the 2023 nationwide championship sport between her Tigers and Clark’s Hawkeyes “modified my life endlessly.”
But that change has generally include hate.
“I feel it is actually simply the followers, her followers, the Iowa followers, now the Indiana followers, which are actually simply, they experience for her, and I respect that, respectfully,” Reese stated. “But generally it is very disrespectful. I feel there’s a whole lot of racism in the case of it.”
There’s little question Clark and Reese have every performed a major function in rising the sport of ladies’s basketball and ladies’s sports activities on the whole, which led to the WNBA losing no time getting them on the court docket instantly for his or her newest rivalry chapter.
Also price noting concerning the WNBA schedule launch is the most recent franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, who tip off for his or her first-ever sport on May 16 in opposition to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Angel Reese defended her block try on Caitlin Clark, which resulted in a flagrant-1 foul being known as. (Getty Images)
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The New York Liberty, winners of the 2024 WNBA title, will see their ring ceremony on May 17 earlier than their matchup with the Las Vegas Aces.
The Fever and Sky could have 5 conferences within the 2025 season.
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