The Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark rivalry has its roots way before either player even entered the WNBA. Although the players faced each other for the first time in 2021, their rivalry came into the public spotlight during the 2023 NCAA championship game. With Angel Reese’s LSU Tigers heading for the win, she did a ‘you can’t see me’ gesture that led to a lot of backlash and criticism. However, both players dismissed it as such competitors being in the heat of the battle. 

Although they dismissed it, fans around the world couldn’t stop talking about it. Since then, their rivalry has evolved significantly in the WNBA. Drafted in the same rookie class, their careers have constantly been compared with each other. Till now, they have faced each other five times in the WNBA. Caitlin holds a significant edge and has won four out of these five fixtures. Individually, as well, Angel Reese falls behind when it comes to scoring, as Caitlin is averaging 20.4 to Angel’s 13.2 points per game.

While Caitlin does hold a major edge in most categories, Angel Reese may soon upstage CC in a major statistical metric. With the WNBA season winding down, Angel Reese has an opportunity to leave Caitlin Clark behind when it comes to total field goals made. As of now, Angel has made 287 field goals in her WNBA career. Meanwhile, thanks to her over a month-long injury layoff, Caitlin Clark is still stranded at 314. 

While some time ago it may have seemed that Caitlin would keep the record due to Angel Reese’s niggling back injury, now it seems like just a matter of time before Angel is leaving Caitlin behind. The Chicago Sky still has 10 games left in its schedule. If Angel does indeed play all the remaining schedule, she just needs to average 2.8 field goals per game to beat Caitlin Clark’s record. That is, of course, assuming that Caitlin Clark is not back by that time. 

As of now, there have been no concrete reports on when and if Catilin Clark will come back this season. Due to the increased risk of re-injury of soft-tissue muscles, the Indiana Fever are being extra careful with her recovery. In no way do they want a repeat of what happened to Caitlin Clark the last time she was rushed back. While Angel Reese might be able to overlap Caitlin Clark, in her return, she did miss out on a chance to break her own record. 

Angel Reese Misses Out on Breaking Her Own Record in Her Return Against the Seattle Storm

After missing seven consecutive games due to a back injury, Angel Reese finally made her return to the basketball court. While some might have taken some time to adjust and get back into the rhythm, Reese took the game head-on. Despite the Chicago Sky’s dismal record and little to no chance of making the playoffs, Angel wanted to give her all. 

Alas, her efforts were of no avail as the Chicago Sky lost the game 94-88 and suffered their 26th loss of the season. After the game, she even took the blame for the loss. While the game would not have mattered that much in the standings for Sky fans, Angel Reese’s performances certainly would have. Coming into the game on an 11-game double-double streak, Angel Reese had a chance of rewriting history once again. 

Already holding the record, she had a chance to extend it even further. However, she could not record a double-double against the Seattle Storm. Angel Reese finished the game with 19 points and 7 rebounds, ending her streak at 11 games. While she might have missed out on breaking the record, the focus for the Chicago Sky and Angel Reese for the rest of the season should be to build chemistry and develop their young players. 

This team has a lot of raw talent, and now, the coaching staff needs to mold them into a finished product. With yet another lottery pick and the potential to add another future star, there is no limit to how much this team can achieve in the coming years.