“She Hasn’t Done Anything Near What Caitlin Clark Has Done”: Angel Reese Handed Cold Facts by Shaq’s Ex-Agent (Exclusive)

Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese? This question has long troubled basketball fans. The first time fans had to choose between the two was during the Championship Final between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the LSU Lady Tigers in 2023, which Reese eventually won. The highlight was when Reese did John Cena’s ‘You can’t see me’ gesture against Clark. Many argue that this was the moment that spurred women’s college basketball into a limelight never seen before. Notably, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal sided with Reese opining that she was better than Clark since she had won the NCAA Championship, something Clark couldn’t do throughout her college basketball career. O’Neal’s ex-agent Leonard Armato expressed his views on the competition between the two during a conversation with EssentiallySports.

This discussion has continued even in the WNBA. While Clark was then the number one pick for the Indiana Fever, Reese was drafted as the seventh overall pick by the Chicago Sky. On the sidelines of a commercial event, Armato took time to discuss a whole host of issues with EssentiallySports primetime correspondent, Vishal Kolar.

Kolar: Staying on the topic of the WNBA season kicking off. I feel like the overlooked name here is Angel Reese and how already she is a big star on the court like Caitlin Clark in college right? And now her coming to Chicago, she had made some comments targeted at both Barkley and Caitlin Clark when she sort of is winning not because of one player on the charter flight… But I think Angel has done as much in bringing viewership to the game. And the Chicago Sky games were sold out. Huge credit to her for that.  

Armato: Well you said a lot of different things. I gotta come in a few of them. Number 1, Angel Reese is really interesting and fine and she’s really good for the game. But she hasn’t done anything near what Caitlin Clark has done. I mean, Caitlin Clark basically drew a mass audience and was water cooler conversation. Angel Reese kinda was ….. A little bit. And Angel Reese is like great, great sort of that personality. In and out herself, she’s unique and special. Shaq was really infatuated with her and signed her to Reebok. She calls him like a big brother. He calls her like his sister whatever. So she’s become a star in and her own right.

Notably since Clark’s arrival on the big stage, the WNBA has recorded 93% more ticket sales than last year. The game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever had the Liberty having around $2 million in ticket sales revenue. This fact was astounding since the Liberty were last year’s runner-ups but still did not have that much support until Clark stepped in. Another notable fact is that the Fever are having sold out arenas something they didn’t have last year. But Shaq thinks quite the opposite.

Shaquille O’Neal had sided with Angel Reese

Shaq in his podcast in 2023 had expressed that Reese was “probably the greatest athlete to come out of LSU, male or female” as per USA Today. “She delivered that package. So, you know, there’s a lot of names you could throw around – men and women – but she’s probably the greatest athlete,” Shaq had added.

The 52-year-old then went ahead to sign Reese when he became the President of Basketball Operations for Reebok. As part of the re-emergence plans, Reese became a mainstay name for the brand.

But is she really the best? Armato in his opinion has once again put the spotlight on Clark and how her popularity has benefitted the WNBA. It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top when Clark’s Indiana Fever host Reese’s Chicago Sky.