Some of basketball's golden eras have been marked by contentious rivalries between feisty superstars who refused to give an inch to each other. In the NBA, the league reached new heights as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird continued their collegiate rivalry in the big leagues.
That same decade also saw Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls develop a bitter and violent rivalry with the Detroit Pistons. A few decades later, the NBA benefited from feuds involving Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, and LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Meanwhile, in the WNBA, its earlier years were marked by the incredible rivalry between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Houston Comets, and later on, the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces . However, in today's W, no clash is more entertaining and riveting than the one between Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese .
The rivalry's origins can be traced back to the 2023 NCAA national championship game between Caitlin's Iowa Hawkeyes and Angel's LSU Tigers. While the 6-foot guard caught hoop fans' fancy with her scintillating performances, including a 41-point explosion in the Final Four, it was the 6-foot-4 forward who had the last laugh as the Tigers prevailed over the Hawkeyes, 102-85, to claim the title.
However, it was Reese's taunting of Clark that grabbed the headlines. With the win in the bag and the game down to its final moments, cameras captured Reese following Clark and making the "you can't see me" gesture popularized by WWE legend John Cena.
According to Angel, everything changed for her after that viral moment.
For all intents and purposes, Angel was already a bona fide collegiate celebrity during her junior year, especially after she won Most Outstanding Player honors in the NCAA. She was not only a prolific scorer and rebounder but also a head-turner, her unmistakable style making her even more appealing.
The long lashes, the long, flowing hair, the neon manicures, and the bold fashion sense added to her aura, which in turn enticed endorsement deals from the likes of Amazon, Beats by Dre, and Goldman Sachs, to mention a few.
However, nothing had more impact than her controversial needling of Clark, who was, and still is, the most popular women's basketball player today.
At the time she made it, Reese thought it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, her competitive juices getting the best out of her. But little did she know that it would change how people viewed her forever.
"You don't really realize it in the moment, but obviously the things you say and do can change everything," Angel stated . "I literally woke up the next day, and I was a celebrity."
Caitlin and Angel have continued to battle in the WNBA, with every clash drawing mammoth crowds. However, they have found themselves wearing the same uniform as teammates on Team USA competing for the title at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. And so far, it's been refreshing to see for hoop fans everywhere.
In fact, Angel let on how much fun it has been playing with Caitlin.
"I mean, we've played against each other so many times. So I'm sure we know each other's game. Like the back of each other's hand. So I just easily dished it off to her. She dished it off to me," Reese stated. "She knows my slides. I kind of got one to her today or maybe two. So it's fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we're going to be USA teammates for a while."
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
