Angel Reese? Caitlin Clark? Sue Bird? Though the first two are rookies, Sue Bird retired in the 2022 WNBA season when the rookies were in their NCAA days. What stands out is the distinct gameplay that they possess. Reese is well known for her rebounding, and Clark gets her due appreciation for shooting. Bird, on the other hand, is renowned for her assists. But, what happens when you are given a situation that requires you to put the three in distinct categories? For starters, it doesn’t get easy.

When EssentiallySports engaged in an exclusive chat with Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr., we asked Demary to share his view on the three stars. The interviewer BG-12 then put forth a situation before Demary where he was required to make his pick regarding who he would bench, start, play, and cut when given a choice between Bird, Clark, and Reese.

Silas Demary Jr.: “Are we talking about old Sue Bird or are we talking about current Sue Bird?… So current. I will probably say I will start with Caitlin Clark because she is a, she is a threat everywhere, been able to have that throughout the court…. I’ll probably, I’ll probably bench Angel Reese because you bring her off the bench you’re going to get 8 to 10 rebounds. You need rebounding and post scoring. She gives you that. I will hate to cut Sue Bird because she brings so much attention to the floor. I think Sue Bird is really good. But she facilitates a lot. If I have Caitlin on the crew, she has become a way better facilitator as of recently. I, I think I can live, I can live with them two.”

The WNBA stats speak volumes about the playing styles and the abilities of the three stars. While Clark became the first WNBA rookie to hit a triple-double during her game against the New York Liberty by scoring 19 points with 12 rebounds and 13 assists in early July, Reese successfully broke Candace Parker’s record for most consecutive double-doubles by adding 15 double-doubles. Meanwhile, as mentioned before, Bird stands out for her assisting abilities. She has started 490 games out of the 580 regular season games she played in her career. Additionally, Bird stands as the all-time leader in assists in the WNBA with 3,234 assists.

Bird off late after her retirement got more into the media landscape with her production company whereas Clark and Reese will be foregoing their rivalry for some time as they will play together in the WNBA All-Star game. However, the previous instances of these two on the hardwood have resulted in an increased narrative involving an alleged rivalry between the two.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rivalry narrative

The WNBA rookies Clark and Reese had faced off in the NCAA 2022-23 Finale. The game which was finally won by Reese’s Louisiana State University Lady Tigers had the Maryland-born challenging Clark along the way while trying to contain her impact on the hardwood. Reese did John Cena’s You Can’t See Me move against Clark and finally succeeded in overpowering her impact as LSU won the game by a 102-85 margin and bagged the title.

Once through with the NCAA days, their said rivalry has now moved into the WNBA where Reese tried to dominate Clark with her physicality. However, Clark remarks that she doesn’t believe it to be a rivalry. “I’m pretty sure the only people that view this as a rivalry is all of you,” was Clark’s reaction when asked about her alleged animosity with Reese before the Indiana Fever’s game with Chicago Sky in June.

Perhaps, this comparison between Clark, Reese, and Bird will reach all ears as fans will be excited to make their picks for bench, cut, and start. In the meantime, they can enjoy the WNBA All-Star game and see how Clark and Reese take giant leaps in their careers.