NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
What it comes down to is luck and opportunity. The WNBA now has a rivalry outside of the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. In the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 pick and the Chicago Sky took Angel Reese with the No. 7 pick. Hell, looking at the drafts of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the selections were almost identical with Magic going No.1 in 1979 and Bird going No. 6 in 1978.
Clark was the clear choice here just as Johnson was for the Los Angeles Lakers. Reese was drafted where many predicted she would, which should only add fuel to her already burning fire. To Reese, she was the best player in college. But Clark, well, she took the women’s game to new heights. As they did for the collegiate game, can they take the WNBA to new heights?
The only issue is that their respective teams are in the Eastern Conference. So Reese and Clark meeting for a WNBA Championship will not happen unless one is traded or leaves. The most we can get out of them is a Conference Championship game. But still, that may be enough to warrant all types of publicity and attention to the two woman and their new teams. With Bird and Magic in different conferences, that made their rivalry that more intense where they could meet with a title on the line.
As it stands, these two are forever tied at the hip. On the court, they’re fierce competitors and will bring out the best in one another. Off the court, they could be as friendly as Bird and Magic were to each other. This is still America and we cannot ignore what drove their rivalry to the top of the women’s game while they were at LSU and Iowa respectively. In the WNBA, it will be no different. It’s still Indiana, which still screams Larry Bird. Reese is in the big city of Chicago, which screams Magic Johnson.
Is The WNBA Ready For Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark
Endorsement deals are sure to follow with Caitlin Clark already securing a $28M deal with Nike. Reese is sure to get a few offers her way now as a pro. If these companies are smart, they will market them as a package deal. Who cares if feelings are hurt? The WNBA must sell tickets, they need to boost their image. Clark’s jersey has already reached records and she has yet to play a WNBA game.
The WNBA does not have a shortage of star power but what they don’t have is a ready-made rivalry like the one we will see between the Fever and Sky. The only thing left for these two ladies to do is produce. Clark could very well lead the WNBA in scoring next seaosn while Reese had the potential to lead the league in rebounding.
There won’t be any Magic and Bird championship bouts, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a similar effect on the WNBA.
