There have been many facets in the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry, most of them boiling down to talent. Statistics don’t make it easy to compare and contrast the two with different positions. Where the point guard excels in shooting and allowing others to shoot, Reese’s defense is what helps her stand out. But for one comedian, born in Chicago, the Sky star doesn’t even hold a candle to the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Last month, Aries Spears sparked debate in the W community when he made a strong statement against the former LSU player, “Angel Reese is garbage, pure garbage.”
In a recent interview with DJ Vlad, Spears reiterated the sentiment, comparing Clark’s game to Reese’s. “When you look at Caitlin Clark’s game, who’s very reminiscent of a Steph Curry based on her range and her shooting three, plus everything else she does. And then you look at Angel Reese – stop it. Stop it.”
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Spears then goes on to share how a TikTok user has put together a large number of clips of the Chi-Town Barbie on the court, and imitates an announcer’s voice, “It’ll say ‘Angel Reese part 36.’ And it’ll say, ‘Angel Reese goes for another layup, she misses bang!’ And my dude, it’s the funniest sh–. She just seems as uncoordinated as a baby giraffe.”
Several famous names have chosen their sides in this rivalry, often comparing it to the NBA greats of all ages. Where Shaq is a famous Reese supporter, especially given their LSU background and uncle-niece relationship, he still acknowledges the Fever guard’s talent. But Spears may have been born in Chicago but his loyalties lie in Indiana.
He continues on Vlad TV, “People go, ‘You know, she averages the league in most rebounds and double-doubles.’ It’s like listen, if you throw up 85 attempts, you’re eventually going to get one or two. But the fact that you have to throw the ball up 85 times is fu–ing ridiculous. If you crawl on your stomach long enough, you’ll reach your destination…It’s about sports ability and she’s garbage in terms of coordination.”
However, analysts like Rebecca Lobo have confirmed that this is not the case. In fact, even if we remove Reese’s offensive rebounds she grabs from her own misses, she would still be leading the league in that category. On top of that, having the ability to fight for the ball in the restricted area where most WNBA players are not just experienced but also stronger than the Sky No. 5 shows how she has the knack and skill to rebound. The 2024 rookie averaged 13.1 RPG with her offensive boards (5.1) near double the next-best, her teammate Kamilla Cardoso (3 oreb).
While the world nitpicks between these two, what do the players themselves think of this heated rivalry?
“There’s never been beef”: Angel Reese on Caitlin Clark
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The moment Angel Reese pointed to her ring finger at the 2023 NCAA Championship Game, the narrative of the rivalry was practically writing itself. Some loved the trash talk, some made a drama out of it, but the players themselves remained amicable. Well, as amicable as two players always pitted against each other since their high school days can remain.
In an episode of Unapologetically Angel released on Sept. 5, the Sky forward revealed, “Knowing my five fingers and my other finger pointing at my hand could literally have changed my life for, like, forever is crazy.” Calling Clark an ‘amazing’ player, Reese also said that “there’s never been beef…We’ve talked trash to each other at AAU (Basketball), like that. It’s been that.”
Caitlin Clark has also mocked the idea by pointing out the media. “I’m pretty sure the only people that view this as a rivalry is all of you (media). For us, like it’s just a game of basketball. That’s what it is. If it’s gonna help move the game forward, that’s amazing,” the reigning WNBA ROTY remarked on her apparent feud with the seventh-overall pick.
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While it doesn’t negate the fact that some fans have taken the enmity too far, as Reese said, making it more than disrespectful, the players themselves know that at the end of the day, all that matters is basketball. Their rookie year has proven that more often than not, Reese and Clark are going to be put together in the same sentence. But as the Chicago player reiterated, there’s “no hate” between the two.
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Is Angel Reese truly 'garbage,' or is Aries Spears missing the bigger picture of her talent?
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Is Angel Reese truly 'garbage,' or is Aries Spears missing the bigger picture of her talent?
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