Arike Ogunbowale on the “rivalry” between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale explains why it was the media that started the so-called beef between WNBA rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Sport in Seriousness
This has now become the most common occurrence in her rookie season: Caitlin Clark broke another record on Sunday during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Dallas Wings.
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, became the all-time leading rookie in scoring with – how could it be otherwise – a deep 3 with 2:51 minutes left in the third quarter, surpassing former Minnesota Lynx star Seimone Augustus, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft.
Augustus scored 744 points this season and was named Rookie of the Year. After scoring a career-high 35 points on Sunday in Indiana’s 110-109 win over Dallas, Clark now has 761 points with one more regular-season game left.
Indiana finishes the regular season on Thursday in Washington.
Clark is the rookie’s best in points per game (19.5) and leads the entire league in assists per game (8.4). She has also made more 3s (120) than anyone else this season. In July, she became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double; she now has two in her professional career. In addition, she set a league record for assists in a game (19) earlier this season and broke the rookie record for assists in a season.
After a record-breaking college career at Iowa, Clark has more than lived up to the pressure and hype that was created around her when she entered the league and has already helped Indiana secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2016. She is the clear favorite to win Rookie of the Year and will likely beat out her biggest rival, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who has set WNBA rebounding records all season but has missed the last few games with a wrist injury.
The two have generated unprecedented interest in the WNBA’s 28th season and could help the players’ association fight for a significant salary increase in the next collective bargaining agreement.
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