The rivalry between Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese has become one of the biggest stories in the WNBA this season. But as one ESPN analyst points out, a lot of that attention comes from their rivalry back in college because their teams are not exactly dominant or all that interesting.
During an appearance on First Take on Monday morning, ESPN analyst Andraya Carter pointed out the brutal truth that all of the attention the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese is receiving is a result of what they did in college – not at the professional level.
“What I take from these two going at it keeping up with their record in the pros, it’s a result right now of what they did in college,” Carter said. “These two were rivals in the college game.”
Andraya Carter on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese: "I enjoy watching these two trying to have success in the W. But if we're being completely honest, their teams are having a mid-off right now. There teams are just very mid. They're 8th and 9th in the WNBA standings." pic.twitter.com/OIXiYDBmFa
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 17, 2024
“It has the potential to be a rivalry down the road but right now, I enjoy watching these two trying to have success in the W. But if we’re being completely honest, their teams are having a mid-off right now. Their teams are just very mid. They’re 8th and 9th in the WNBA standings, they’re 4-9, 5-10 – their teams aren’t very good,” Carter continued.
Carter isn’t necessarily wrong, but it’s fair to say that they are two young stars who are starting to blossom at the professional level. And the fact that they have carried their rivalry from the college level to the WNBA is all the more compelling for a lot of fans.