After the Sky’s 90-81 victory Thursday against the Liberty, forward Angel Reese had thoughts to share.
‘‘And that’s on getting a win in a packed arena, not just cause of one player on our charter flight,’’ Reese shared in a since-deleted post on X.
Many took the post, which referred to the WNBA’s new policy on charter flights and increased attendance, as a shot at Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in the draft last month. The two were deemed college rivals after LSU beat Iowa in the title game of the 2023 women’s NCAA Tournament, in the closing seconds of which Reese mimicked Clark’s “You Can’t See Me” gesture.
However, there’s a difference between competitors and rivals, and these two fall into the former category.
As far as Reese’s tweet goes, Clark was not the inspiration behind the post.
On Wednesday, Hall of Fame player and TNT analyst Charles Barkley shared his opinion about the WNBA’s growth, crediting Clark for the league’s implementation of charter travel. He called players in the WNBA “petty” and said they should be thanking Clark.
“He knows it was directed towards him and whoever is not actually educated on what’s going on in the league,” Reese told the Sun-Times Saturday ahead of the Sky’s home opener against the Sun. “There are many different players in this league who have done so much for this league, including myself.”
TV ratings for the Fever already have set new league records. Clark’s debut against the Sun was the most-viewed WNBA game on ABC in history.
Reese, however, is having her own significant impact. The Sky’s season-ticket sales have increased by 33% and their revenue by 58% this season. Their game June 6 against the Mystics has been moved to Capital One Arena, which has a capacity of 20,356 fans.
Off the court, Reese is the face of a global campaign with Good American clothing, she is the only active WNBA player with a team ownership stake and has the largest social media following of any rookie. Rapper Latto attended her WNBA debut in Dallas and days later, Reese and her teammates joined Megan Thee Stallion on stage during her “Hot Girl Summer Tour at the United Center.
Barkley isn’t the only prominent NBA voice with a strong opinion about Clark’s early impact on the WNBA. Four-time NBA champion LeBron James made his feelings clear on the latest episode of his podcast ‘‘Mind the Game’’ with JJ Redick.
After sharing his advice for Clark, saying anyone with that level of fame needs to ‘‘put your blinders on,’’ James also credited her for her impact on the WNBA.
‘‘Don’t get it twisted, don’t get it [expletive] up,’’ James said. ‘‘[Clark] is the reason why a lot of great things are gonna happen for the WNBA.’’
If it wasn’t before, Reese made it crystal clear that her post acknowledged what many continue to miss: more than one player is influencing the burgeoning interest in the WNBA.
