Caitlin Clark Disputes Angel Reese Rivalry With Two Questions

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark poked a hole in her supposed "rivalry" with Angel Reese through two rhetorical questions.

Jul 20, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Angel Reese against the USA Women's National Team during the 2024 WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, it was announced that Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has been named the Time Athlete of the Year for 2024.

This announcement was made along with a feature article on Clark from esteemed journalist Sean Gregory. Gregory did a fantastic job of getting the 22-year-old to open up about many of the topics that have swirled around her during her first season of professional basketball.

However, one topic that her swirled around Clark for much longer than that is her "rivalry" with Chicago Sky superstar Angel Reese, which started with Reese's iconic taunt toward Clark in the 2023 NCAA National Championship Game between LSU and Iowa and has continued through their respective WNBA careers.

But Clark asserted that there's much less vitriol between her and Reese than many fans want to believe when speaking with Gregory.

“I don’t get that at all,” said Clark of her and Reese being pitted against each other as rivals. “We’re not best friends, by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another.

"Yes, we have had tremendous battles. But when have I ever guarded her? And when has she guarded me?” Clark continued.

It's interesting that Clark poses these two rhetorical questions as a way to downplay their rivalry. While she certainly has a point that they don't play the same position (or even close to it) and therefore can't be directly compared, they certainly still interact on the court.

Take the time when Reese received a flagrant 1 foul for whacking Clark on the head as she went for a layup during a June 16, 2024 WNBA game between Indiana and Chicago.

After review, Angel Reese called for a flagrant 1 for this foul against Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/xziAPf6ZGp

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 16, 2024

Still, Clark's sentiment is fair enough. And it's good to see that she holds no ill feelings toward Reese for anything in the past.

"The only thing people cared about was this controversy that was really fabricated and made up, and then that has continued to be the case ever since,” she added of her and Reese's "rivalry" in the article.  

What's for sure is that women's basketball is better off because of Reese and Clark's relationship.