Angel Reese Rivalry Pronounced ‘Dead’ Amid Paige Bueckers’ Honest Admission About Caitlin Clark Comparison

Whether talking head-to-head individual player battles or those between franchises, the WNBA has delivered some of basketball’s spiciest rivalries. Remember when Sheryl Swoopes and Teresa Weatherspoon would go at it? Or when Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson brought the fire in the post? More recently, Kahleah Copper and Sophie Cunningham had that fiery edge before they became Phoenix teammates and made nice. We can’t deny that rivalries just give basketball that extra flavor. And for a while now, all eyes have been on Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. But, looks like, with Paige Bueckers’ arrival, the narrative might just be shifting for good.

But before we jump into what’s next, let’s rewind real quick. The Clark-Reese chatter really took off during the NCAA tourney, when Reese hit Clark with the infamous “you can’t see me” taunt. People claimed Clark had done the same to Louisville in the Elite Eight but Hailey Van Lith said Clark had actually gestured to Iowa’s strength coach, not to any player. 

Still, the damage was done. The moment went viral, and we had ourselves a rivalry. While both Clark and Reese brushed off the drama, calling it part of the game’s competitive nature, it was enough to spark a media frenzy. It followed them into the pros like glitter you just cannot clean up.

Well, looks like the glitter’s finally faded. Analyst Rachel DeMita recently declared on her YouTube channel, “I also predict that the Angel Reese Caitlyn Clark rivalry is going to be dead. I think that rivalry is actually done. Never truly made sense. It was fabricated from college. They don’t play the same position. They’ve never once guarded one another.”

She added how they are now “becoming their own and will have new rivals.” It does make sense in every way. Clark’s a guard, Reese is a forward and even in the WNBA, they haven’t really gone head-to-head like that. In fact, remember Clark’s flashy dime to Reese at the WNBA All-Star Game? That clip went viral as ‘healing the rivalry.’ So it’s probably safe to say it’s done.

But now, enters Bueckers, who does play the same position as Clark. The media’s been itching for a fresh rivalry to ride and they’ve found one. Just like Clark was the No. 1 pick for the Indiana Fever last year, Bueckers went No. 1 to the Dallas Wings. So naturally, the rivalry engines are revving again. But Paige is not exactly fanning the flames.

“Yeah, I think, running my own race, not running a race in comparison,” she said when asked about the Clark comparisons. “Those comparisons are just media driven, narrative driven. And they’re good for the game in terms of getting people to talk about it and it being a talking point. So I’m sure we both have gotten used to it.”  She even admitted she used to take the comparisons personally. But not anymore. “Just like any comparison to anything, any expectations, any pressures, any external things that people think I have to live up to,” she added in chat with ClutchPoints. 

But honestly, this rivalry narrative isn’t some brand-new thing. Bueckers and Clark have been shadowing each other since high school. They were both five-star recruits in the Class of 2020; Bueckers was ranked No. 1, Clark was No. 4. And in college, they went at it. UConn beat Iowa in the 2021 Sweet 16, but Clark got her revenge in the 2024 Final Four. So we were always headed here. This was written in the stars or at least in a couple of recruiting reports. 

How much weight does it hold now? Well, the ticket prices say it all.

Paige Bueckers vs. Clark is already pricier than history

Buekcers and Clark’s memories of AAU battles and Team USA camp are almost blurry. Ask them about those early days and they’ll give you some vague nostalgia but always heavy on respect. Maybe because high school feels like a different lifetime now. But here we are. 

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are about to collide in the pros, and it might just be the most expensive WNBA game ever. Circle the date: June 27. That’s when Clark’s Indiana Fever will meet Bueckers and the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Not their usual spot, by the way. The Wings moved this game out of their home arena because the ticket demand was just that wild. The cheapest seat on Ticketmaster this week was a whopping $255. And courtside seats are topping $5,000 once you add fees and taxes. Let that sink in.

Clark is all for the switch. She actually endorsed the arena upgrade, saying Bueckers deserves the big stage. “That arena is fun to play in: it’s small and it’s loud, but honestly, they should move the games to American Airlines because I think Paige has that type of draw,” Clark said. “She’ll be able to bring those type of fans in.” Wings are slated to move to downtown Dallas in 2026 to play in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center with a capacity of around 10,000. That might ultimately end up being small if Bueckers’ fandom rises. 

For now, about the history, keep in mind, Clark already played in the WNBA’s priciest game ever, her third matchup with Angel Reese last season had an average ticket price of $271. This showdown with Paige has got a very good shot at smashing that record. Let’s see how it plays out.