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When the LSU Tigers and University of Iowa Hawkeyes met in the final of the 2023 Women’s NCAA Tournament, all of the talk was about the rivalry between stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
Speaking on the new ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press, the recent #1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft expressed her frustration with the rivalry between the pair taking away from the attention that she believes her team deserved.
“That’s the only thing people wanted to talk about when we just went on this magical run and united so many people, and that, like, was frustrating to me,” Clark said of her rivalry with Reese.
In 2023, Reese’s Tigers bested Clark’s Hawkeyes by a score of 102-85. A year later in the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament, the two teams would square off again, with Iowa getting the better of LSU this time around, beating them by a score of 94-87 in the Elite Eight.
Angel Reese, who was drafted #7 overall in this year’s draft by the Chicago Sky, also spoke in the docuseries and reiterated that her rivalry with Clark is strictly sporting and not persona.
“For me, I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” Reese said. “I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It’s just a super competitive game. I just wish people would realize that.”
Both Clark and Reese will begin their WNBA journeys this week as the 2024 season will begin on Tuesday, May 14. Clark’s Indiana Fever will be in Connecticut to take on the Sun on Tuesday, while Reese’s Sky will visit the Dallas Wings on Wednesday.