Angel Reese’s arrival in the WNBA has coincided with the biggest implosion in the league’s history. Thanks to her and Caitlin Clark’s college-time rivalry, the league has grown at an unprecedented pace. With record-breaking viewership and fan attendance, these are booming times for the WNBA. While the league has benefited a lot from this rivalry, both players have also seen their popularity increase. Caitlin Clark, the widely considered hero of this rivalry, has made Reese, the ‘villain’ of this rivalry, and this has now made

The villain doesn’t bother Reese, but fuels her as she has fully embraced the role, and she’s thriving in it. In just her second WNBA season, Reese is already rewriting the record books. Most recently, she surpassed legends A’ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, and Lisa Leslie by notching her fourth game with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds—a feat unmatched at this stage of a career. And with the launch of her debut signature shoe in bold, unapologetic fashion, she is making her presence feel louder.

On July 9, 2025, Angel Reese made waves by unveiling her Reebok signature shoe alongside a stunning surprise—her appearance on the cover of NBA 2K26. The announcement lit up the WNBA world instantly, dominating headlines and social media. But with the spotlight came another wave of online trolling and harsh criticism. This time, though, Reese didn’t stand out. Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas stepped in to defend her, not only calling out the bullying but also drawing parallels between her situation and Bronny James.

Speaking live during his Indiana Fever vs Atlanta Dream watch-along, Gilbert Arenas said that, “Angel’s no different than Bronny James in a sense where they know how to use their name, they getting rewarded for it, and they don’t really give a s— what you talking about.” Arenas implied that Angel Reese’s situation is similar to Bronny James’. Many fans see them as villains due to their actions on the court, or in Bronny’s case, the alleged nepotism.

He further explained that the players know how to market themselves and that they are not concerned about the online trolls. He said, “These girls been marketing themselves well and they getting paid off of it, So they don’t care what these girls got to say about them. They know what they doing.” One such example related to this is Angela Reese’s Mebounds merchandise. She was criticized for grabbing rebounds of her misses. Reese flipped the script and launched the merchandise with the same name. That’s the spirit.

Angel Reese and many other WNBA players have received a lot of support from the NBA community. However, the trolling and the bullying have continued. While in the old days, these might have affected the players, times have changed now. With all these upcoming players embracing the ‘haters’ and cashing in on them. This is not just benefiting them individually, but also growing the league to newer highs.

Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark’s Rivalry’s Impact on the WNBA

Even before Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA, they already had an intense rivalry. Their rivalry heated up during the 2023 Women’s National Championship Game, when LSU clinched its first national championship with a commanding 102–85 victory over Iowa, setting a new NCAA women’s basketball title game record for the most points scored by a team. What followed next was Angel Reese’s infamous ‘ you can’t see me’ gesture.

Ever since that moment, both of them have been embroiled in a rivalry. While none of them admits that there is a rivalry, the experts and the fans surely believe there is. But is that such a bad thing? Looking at the implications of this rivalry, there has been a breath of fresh air around the league. The ‘CC Effect’ is doing wonders for the league. But if not for this rivalry, the CC Effect wouldn’t have been this monumental. 

Their rivalry has put a lot of eyes on the league. So much so that there are new records being set almost every other day. Be it for attendance, viewership, engagements, or even merchandise sales. According to reports, there was a 170% increase in viewership compared to the 2023 WNBA season.

With the help of this rivalry, the league is growing at an exponential pace. With plans to add five more expansion teams by 2030, there is no telling how much the league can grow as the WNBA continues to see new age rivalries, with some stars making the noise every other year. And this time, it is Paige Bueckers who has taken the rivalry debate.