Reese and Clark made it clear—the WNBA deserves your attention: Telander

CHICAGO - I apologize, but I’ve become bored with the NBA. Maybe it’s because the Bulls have been so blah. Maybe it’s because it’s hard to get fired up about a Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals. Or maybe it’s because traveling, carrying and palming are no longer violations, and Euro-stepping and foot-shuffling are the rage.

At any rate, I skipped the men’s Finals Game 4 and dialed in the WNBA over the weekend, and—holy fake eyelashes--it was pretty sweet. The WNBA is on the upswing (frankly, it couldn’t have gotten much lower than it was in the past), and here in Chicago it basically comes down to two people: Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.

From college rivals to pro powerhouses

Reese was the Sky’s first-round draft pick (No. 7 overall) a year ago, and Clark was the Indiana Fever’s first pick and the No. 1 overall choice in 2024. One woman plays in Chicago and the other in Indianapolis, but their lives and careers and futures seem as intertwined as fibers on a rope.

It all started when Reese was at LSU and Clark was at Iowa and championship rings and words were flying. That was college. Reese took it to the pro level at a press conference a year ago, replete with a defiant, side-headed, stink-eyed look at the questioner when she said, "The reason we’re watching women’s basketball is not because of one person, it's because of me too, and I want y'all to realize that!"

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese #5 handles the ball during the WNBA Commissioners Cup game between Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun on June 15, 2025, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville CT. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Basically, she didn’t like that one person, Clark, was driving attendance through the roof in what had previously been a passive customer base and uncrowded arenas. But when you complain or brag, you better produce. And if you say people watch because of you, prove it. Early on, Reese was just an unfortunate meme for clanging layups and getting her own stat-padding rebounds.

Style, substance and star power

Meanwhile, Clark and the Fever were setting attendance records and TV ratings everywhere they went. Little girls, especially, went off the rails over Clark, kind of the way young girls and women clamor over Taylor Swift. Of course, Clark is white and Reese is Black, and there’s a racial element to this, as there is to everything that happens in the United States.

But it seems to me that Reese’s mistake in comparing herself to Clark is not so much a factor of racial disparity or lack of promotion, but in the fact that their games are so unalike. Reese is a 6-4 power forward with a sturdy frame and the rebounding instincts of Dennis Rodman. Clark is a wispy 6-0 guard who can only be compared to Steph Curry in her elusiveness and ability to see the whole floor and pass to open teammates before even they know they’re open.

Reese’s breakout performance

On Sunday against the Connecticut Sun, Reese played a splendid game, and maybe it marked a turning point in her career. She had 11 points, 11 assists, and 13 rebounds, making her the second-youngest player in league history to get a triple-double, trailing only Clark. More importantly, she seemed to transition into an all-around teammate willing to do whatever was needed to win.

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever dribbles against Kennedy Burke #22 of the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 14, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. ((Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

Reese is already the fastest player in WNBA history to get to 500 points and 500 rebounds. She gets a double-double about every time she plays. She’s becoming a force, and she now might, indeed, be driving attendance and viewing numbers.

For a comparison in height of women to men, you can generally add five inches. Thus, Reese is like a 6-foot-9 NBA big, while Clark is like a skinny 6-foot-5 off guard. Reese can bang with anyone down low—she even got into a near fight with the Sun’s Bria Hartley after Hartley yanked one of her butt-length, whip-like pigtails on a rebound. (I must comment here on the extra-long hair and hair extensions so many WNBA players have, noting that this fashion can be a true danger to opponents. How long until an eye injury occurs because of hair whipping around?) At any rate, Reese put on a fine show versus the Sun.

Clark’s long-range dominance

But on Saturday Clark was other-worldly. In the second quarter against the New York Liberty, during a 40-second stretch, she rained in a trio of three-pointers from so deep that you wouldn’t even guard a normal player from there. Riding Clark’s barrage, the Fever destroyed the reigning WNBA champion and previously-undefeated Liberty, 102-88.

Clarks’ display was jaw-dropping. She finished with 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and seven treys. Not a triple double, but so what?  Wilt Chamberlain didn’t have a triple double when he scored 100 points.

The league they’re building

So the WNBA entertained me just fine. I’m not ditching the men’s game entirely. I just took a weekend detour and had a delightful trip.

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