There’s always that one couple with zero personality that everyone kind of knows. Every story they tell is a “we/us” tale, every anecdote is something they have experienced together and every opinion is shared. As annoying as it is, there are many who remain determined to make sure that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are that pair, incapable of being mentioned without the other one tagging along in the next breath.
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It’s been over two years since these young athletes met with an NCAA Championship on the line. Reese and her LSU Tigers came out on top against Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes, and after Reese’s “Put a ring on it” celebration nearly caused Sports Twitter to explode, the two have been inextricably linked ever since.
The latest example of this incessant need to keep the fellow WNBA sophomores joined at the hip came courtesy of Shaquille O’Neal, who commented on an Instagram post from The Gary Parrish Show.
In the clip, Parrish cited an economist that said that Clark is responsible for bringing “$36 million to the city of Indianapolis” while “being responsible for 27% of the WNBA’s entire economic activity.”
“No person has done more for their league than Caitlin Clark has done for the WNBA,” Parrish said. “Patrick Mahomes doesn’t mean that much to the NFL, Steph Curry does not mean that much to the NBA, LeBron James does not mean that much to the NBA. She is just a monster.”
Shaq’s two-word response? “And Angel.”
It’s well known that Shaq is “Angel Reese all day“ because he’s told us before. He shares an LSU tie with her, has appeared on her podcast and her signature shoe is with Reebok, where he is now the President of Basketball.
Shaq is just going to bat for “his girl,” and that’s admirable. But comparing the impact that Clark and Reese have had is apples to oranges, and bringing up Reese’s name every time Clark is mentioned does a disservice to what Angel actually has accomplished, which, to be fair, is a lot.
Reese leads the WNBA in rebounds with 12.8 per game. The next closest player is A’ja Wilson with 8.7. That’s some “Wilt Chamberlain over a bunch of plumbers and milkmen” kind of disparity. She’s also improved her scoring efficiency of late, as she’s averaged over 18 points in her last six games.
Reese has been extremely successful from a marketing perspective as well, as in addition to her deal with Reebok, she’s partnered with McDonald’s, Hershey’s, PlayStation and Wingstop among other prominent brands.
Compared to just about any other WNBA player, Reese’s star shines bright, but as Parrish correctly argued, Clark is a singular figure in the sports world. Her presence on the court single-handedly swings attendance numbers, ticket prices and fan interest.
Reese can’t say the same, but it’s a shame to have to bring that up because people keep inserting her into the conversation every chance they get. Like Kobe Bryant once said about himself, Michael Jordan and LeBron James, “We can enjoy one without tearing down one.”
When Clark and Reese are battling each other on the court, by all means, let’s have the conversation. Otherwise, Reese deserves to be in a conversation that doesn’t piggyback off of Clark.
