Angel Reese has already began cementing herself as a candid interview in the WNBA. It’s clear that nothing gets by her, and she doesn’t flinch to express what she believes to be true. As I’ve been chronicling over the last few months, the WNBA’s progress has been a long time in the making. It has been compounded by an exceptionally strong 2024 draft class. But make no mistake, there are plenty of people who have pushed to the league forward to get this point. That’s a sentiment that Angel Reese holds. She tweeted the following after a recent win, “and that’s on getting a win in a packed arena, not just cause of one player on our charter flight.”
With this statement, I think Reese is pointing at two things. She is speaking to the league’s success in regards to attendance. This game didn’t feature Caitlin Clark, yet the arena was sold out. She is that “one” player that wasn’t on the Chicago Sky’s chartered flight. That’s an amenity that LeBron James and others believe that Caitlin Clark’s influence is primarily responsible for. I don’t really take Reese’s commentary as a jab at Clark though. On the contrary, I believe it’s a response to those who believe the progress that is taking place is solely due to Clark’s arrival in “The W.”
The timing of all of this was quite interesting though. Clark and the Indiana Fever have had a slow start to their season. As with most lottery teams, they find themselves in a rebuild. As we know, rebuilds can include a lot of losing. Now if that wasn’t enough, Clark has also had what I call a bunch of “welcome to the league” moments from veterans. Whether she gets caught on a screen, or crossed over, Clark has seen the works. Players aren’t backing down, and they shouldn’t. If there was any thoughts that she would be handled with kid gloves upon her arrival, they were quickly dashed away.
It’s easy to surmise that what Reese said would pile on to what we were already witnessing on the court. But all she was doing was telling the truth. There has been just too much talent that the WNBA has showcased over the years. Too many moments to think that this progress is all Caitlin Clark’s influence. Now she has something to do with it certainly. That unequivocal in my opinion . But people seemingly want to see all of the league’s stars. And that’s a sign of a healthy league. So even though Reese’s tweet was deleted, I think the sentiment of it was pure. Let’s not lose sight of the many contributions of the women of the WNBA.
