Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese WNBA Rookie Rivalry Is What Men's Basketball Is Missing
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's rivalry has been compared to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Obviously there are several reasons people have chosen to invoke those specific NBA legends, but I want to focus on one aspect, the journey from college to the pros.
Bird and Magic famously met in the National Championship in 1979, with Magic and Michigan State getting the best of Larry and Indiana State. The interest in the duo carried over to the pros with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers helping to get NBA broadcasts off tape delay thanks to the two superstars. The parallels between Clark and Reese are clear in that regard. Fans followed both, in competition and individually, from Iowa and LSU to the WNBA.
This continuity is something currently missing from the men's game. The influx of international talent combined with quick stays in college, the transfer portal and alternative avenues to going pro have prevented fans from following players and growing attached to their stories. In contrast, those who tuned in to watch the women last year will get to see the continuation of where players like Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins left off when NCAA action resumes.
Clark may be more Michael Jordan in her singular impact, but there has still been extra interest in this year's WNBA rookie class, beyond just when Caitlin and Angel have gone head-to-head. I'd also argue that the basketball product may keep viewers around as some of the more traditional play in the W could provide a welcome change to the three-point heavy strategy that while effective, may arguably be hurting the aesthetics and making blowouts more frequent in the NBA.
The Caitlin Clark effect has certainly been the catalyst for record WNBA ratings and the women out rating the men in the respective NCAA national championship games last season. But I believe fans will continue to gravitate towards women's basketball to follow players and stories, like they have with Clark and Reese.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!