During a practice for the WNBA All-Star game, long-standing rivals and temporary teammates Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese competed in a half-court shooting contest.
Reminiscent of last year’s national championship game, Reese was victorious over Clark, sinking her long-range shot, and Clark not swishing hers.
There was no pointing to her ring finger in this celebration, just her holding three fingers in the air, then high-fives all-around for her teammates, but not one for Clark.
Reese’s shot banked in off the backboard from half court, and was the second attempt after Clark’s miss.
After practice ended, Reese and WNBA-All Star teammate Arike Ogunbowale both received a $100 prize from head coach and women’s basketball legend Cheryl Miller for making a half-court shot.
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Angel Reese swished a half-court shot during the WNBA All-Star team practice in Phoenix
Reese gave high-fives after sinking the shot to plenty of teammates, but not Caitlin Clark
Both Reese and Clark will be part of the WNBA All-Stars team to take on the US Olympic Team, made up of a dozen WNBA players. The All-Star game between the mega-squads is Saturday night in Phoenix.
Clark and Reese’s rivalry has been well-documented at the college and professional levels.
Aside from the 2023 national championship game between Reese’s LSU and Clark’s Iowa, the Tigers and Hawkeyes also met in the Elite Eight earlier this year, with Iowa winning ending LSU’s repeat title attempt in what ended up being Reese’s final college game.
Clark was drafted six spots higher than Reese at April’s WNBA Draft, with the pair already facing off three times as professionals.
Clark’s Indiana Fever won the first two matchups, with Reese’s Chicago Sky coming out victorious in the most-recent matchup. Those games were full of tense moments between Clark and a Sky player.
On June 1, Clark was body-checked by Chennedy Carter, in a move dubbed by fans to not be in good faith with basketball.
Carter refused to answer any questions on the matter in a post-game press conference, but did double down online stating ‘beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man’ on Threads.
On June 16, Reese committed a flagrant foul to Clark when the former LSU star missed a block attempt and swatted Clark in the head with her arm, sending her rival to the ground in pain.
Reese also bad-mouthed Clark and her team to the press, stating they had a ‘special whistle’.
However, it appears whatever bad blood exists between Clark and Reese is only as opponents. They were seen practicing for the game together in good spirits and no animosity toward each other.