When the Iowa vs. LSU matchup at the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament broke viewership records, it was understood that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese would shake up the WNBA when they finally arrived. There were some concerns about them adjusting to the pro leagues after college sports. But both CC and Reese proved the naysayers wrong by exceeding expectations. However, one analyst believes, it’s not just her play but another aspect of being a famous athlete that the Chicago Sky rookie has handled well.

The discourse around any rivalry is bound to get a little heated at times but some feel Clark’s fanbase sometimes throws unwarranted vitriol at Reese. In the age of social media, where it’s easy for anyone to say anything, fans don’t hold back. But neither does Angel Reese. “This is who she (Angel Reese) is, this is what they do. They’re not bothered by all these spotlights,” says Cari Champion on The Breakfast Club.

Champion, who has been in the sports broadcasting business since the 2000s, saw the WNBA in its initial years. She continues on the radio show, “Back in the day, the WNBA in my opinion, I felt like the women were quiet. I felt like they felt like they had to be a certain way and these ladies don’t even know what that means. This generation don’t know what that means. I’m showing up.”

It was a time when the NBA was just getting popular and the W was introduced as a separate league. Close to three decades into the business, the women’s league finally has more of a voice than ever before, as Charlamagne points out on the show. “Back in the day, the WNBA was just as good but for whatever reason, they didn’t have a voice.”

Given the sheer amount of records that Reese and Clark have broken, not just on the court, but in inviting audiences to their matchups, prove it. Per official reports, this season was the most-watched regular W season in 24 years, with an all-time record of more than 54 million unique viewers across ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, and NBA TV.

And all this attention has not made Reese shy away from the spotlight but embrace it with dignity. She even has her own podcast, called Unapologetically Angel, which is certainly different from how things were done in the league even two decades ago.

“I’d interview these women, and I’d be like, ‘Tell me something.’ And they’d say what they thought they had to say. They’re not doing that now, which I love. And that makes the game so compelling and that’s why everybody’s paying attention,” says Champion. And she’s not the only one. A Sky veteran also can’t help but be impressed by this year’s rookie class.

Chicago Sky veteran compliments the rookie class

When Diana Taurasi, a certified W veteran, was asked about how Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and their rookie class would adjust to the W, she had said three now-infamous words. “Reality is coming.” While it was not particularly aimed at anyone, it was a genuine thought on how going from one level to another is an adjustment for anyone.

But Reese and Co. certainly transitioned to the W smoothly, even if her season did end with an injury. Former Chicago Sky veteran Lindsay Allen said, “Watching the basketball that’s been played this season and the talent that’s been on the floor across the league, it’s been phenomenal. The two rookies, Caitlin and Angel — Angel has been huge for us and has been setting records. The basketball has been at a very, very high level and the interest has been, too.”

The only disappointment has been that both their teams had less than successful playoff runs. While Indiana made it to the first round, Chicago missed their chance entirely. Nevertheless, as we await their sophomore seasons after historic rookie seasons, we’re sure the next several years to come are only going to be greater for the game!