Angel Reese recently took a big win in her rivalry against Caitlin Clark. The former was integral in the Chicago Sky’s recent 88-87 home victory against the Indiana Fever, garnering attention from basketball fans everywhere. This also boosted her status within the community, prompting Paul Pierce to endorse her as a real candidate for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award.
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Pierce showcased immense faith in the Sky rookie while making his bold declaration. ‘The Truth’ even pointed out how Reese’s fierce on-court battles against Clark played a key role behind his beliefs. Expressing his stance on UNDISPUTED, Pierce mentioned,
“I just think after this game, you gotta start putting Angel Reese in the Rookie of the Year race…It just seems like Angel plays with extra intensity when she’s going against Caitlin [Clark]…You can see it in her performance last night, you can see it when she’s on the sideline being demonstrative when her teammate knocks Caitlin down”.
Pierce soon underlined how the Reese-Clark rivalry has contributed to the WNBA’s growth, flagging the limelight on the rising ticket prices as proof. He then decided to take a subtle dig at the USA Basketball Women’s Team for failing to capitalize on this momentum by overlooking these two rookies for the 2024 Olympics.
“It’s time to put Angel Reese in the ROY conversation.”
— @PaulPierce34 pic.twitter.com/vU4jTPmYBc
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 24, 2024
Interest around Reese in particular, has increased massively after her latest display. Registering 25 points and 16 rebounds against the Fever, she remained the main architect behind her franchise’s triumph. At the same time, the 22-year-old became the first rookie in WNBA history to record eight straight triple-doubles, justifying Pierce’s stance.
These defining endeavors have also uplifted Reese’s confidence. The basketball world saw a glimpse of this during her recent post-game interview. After ending the Fever’s 4-game winning run, the rookie announced in front of the home crowd, “I’m a dog. You can’t teach that”.
“I’m a dog.”
– Angel Reese
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 23, 2024
So, her faith in her abilities rises with each passing day. By now, Reese has gotten acclimatized to the WNBA’s requirements. As a result, slowly but surely, she is translating her words into action, creating a distinctive lane for herself in this league.
Now, she must find consistency as the Maryland-born again squares off against her nemesis for a coveted title.
