AP Photo – Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark signs mini-basketballs for fans after a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings on Sunday in Indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS — The first year of the Clark & Reese Show was unlike anything the WNBA had ever seen.
Granted, the final chapter of this season is still to be decided – the playoffs are set to begin Sunday – but the rookie seasons and attention received by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese make the league’s outlook for this postseason and beyond very bright.
Sold-out arenas became the norm. Soaring television ratings helped expand the fan base. Players like Clark, Reese and league MVP candidate A’ja Wilson relentlessly pursued record-breaking statistics. And everyday conversations and social media posts sparked sometimes heated debates about everything from basketball to culture.
“The basketball being played this season and the talent of players on the court across the league has been phenomenal,” Chicago Sky veteran Lindsay Allen said. “We have two rookies, Kaitlyn and Angel. Angel has been huge for us and is setting records. The level of basketball is really high and the interest is really high.”
It’s impossible to ignore how much the sport has evolved since Clark, Reese and the league’s greatest rookie class arrived in April. The league’s timing was perfect, too.
Clark and Reese captivated college basketball fans with the swagger, confidence and passion they displayed during their rivalry, which carried over to the pros and raised awareness throughout the league.
And while everyone strived to meet those high expectations, Clark and Reese in particular exceeded them.
The Indiana Fever guard’s resume includes rookie records for points (761), three-pointers made (120) and assists (10) in an All-Star game. She broke the league’s single-game (19) and single-season assists (329) records, becoming the first rookie to record a triple-double. Now, she believes she can win a title in the playoffs.
“Once we get there, it’ll feel a little more real, and obviously we’re not just happy to be there,” said Clark, who helped Indiana end a seven-year playoff drought, the second-longest in league history. “I really believe we can compete with every team that’s in the playoffs. Obviously, the only team we didn’t beat this year is the (Las Vegas) A’s, and I think the only time we’ll play them is in the Finals.”
Rees was just as efficient, if not more skilled, in an impressive season.
The Chicago rookie forward set new league records for single-season rebounds (446), offensive rebounds (172) and overall rebounding average (13.1), but Reese didn’t hold the single-season rebound record for long as Wilson broke it while Reese was sidelined with a season-ending injury.
Reese became the first rookie to record a double-double in an All-Star Game and the first WNBA player to record 20 or more rebounds in two consecutive games, and her 24 double-doubles set a new league rookie record.
The only disappointment is the wrist injury that ended Reese’s season after 34 games. The injury will keep the Sky out of the playoffs and could potentially hinder Reese’s Rookie of the Year hopes.
Clark and Reese’s relationship continues to provoke controversy among fans, similar to the barbershop arguments that took place between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson during their respective rookie seasons in 1980.
Their polar opposite personalities have put Clark and Reese at the center of debates on everything from hard fouls to technical fouls to cultural issues including sexuality and race.
But their presence, and their rivalry, has undoubtedly opened the door to more sponsorship deals and fan involvement, including an increase in kids showing up in players’ jerseys long before the start of the game.
It seems like everyone has a favorite moment, from Clark’s corn maze in northwest Indiana to Reese appearing on Chicago’s billboard to promote the Blue Jeans to the tears of joy that rolled down Wilson and his teammates when Wilson broke the league’s single-season scoring record in Indiana.
“I’ve been in this league a long time and I’ve played with some great players, some Hall of Fame players, and this time is no different,” Aces forward Alisha Clark said, wiping away tears as she sat next to Wilson. “With players at this level playing right now, it’s something to be grateful for because one day she’ll no longer be here. She’ll retire and go about her life and people will marvel at what she’s accomplished. I’m like, ‘Now marvel.'”
Fans of Clark and Reese feel the same way about two 22-year-old players who are destined to be the faces of the league for years to come and key players on the 2028 U.S. Olympic team.
But it’s not just a bright future for the rookies, it’s a bright future for a league that has seen ticket demand and name recognition soar by playing in packed arenas.
“There’s so many people talking about the WNBA and the Fever,” Indiana University guard Lexie Hull said, “and I think a lot of it is because people who were into the college game are transferring and chasing their favorite players and chasing the W. It’s really cool.”
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