The 2025 WNBA regular season schedule was released on Monday, and the latest clash between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will be happening right away.
Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky will be going head-to-head to open their respective seasons on May 17 – one day after the league’s opening slate the day before.
This rivalry that goes back to their college days at Iowa and LSU quickly translated to the pros, as drama was seen in the Rookie of the Year race as well as their matchups on the court.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) works to the basket against Dallas Wings guard Sevgi Uzun in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Clark went on to win Rookie of the Year this past season after setting numerous rookie and league records, but Reese quickly made her presence known as a fellow WNBA All-Star by impacting Chicago in her inaugural season as well.
Four meetings between the Fever and Sky were had last season, and each was more anticipated than the next as these two tried to best one another to help notch a win for their squad.
But it was Clark’s Fever who pulled off three wins out of the four meetings. In those games, though, Reese tallied more points and rebounds than Clark, though the floor general did best Reese in assists in all four games.
CAITLIN CLARK IS A BIGGER STAR THAN NBA’S BEST PLAYERS, FAMED PODCAST HOST SAYS
There were also some tense moments in those games, beginning with Reese’s teammate, Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul on Clark early in the season that made national headlines and sparked tons of sports debate after the veteran guard checked the rookie to the ground in what many described as a cheap shot.
Then, on June 16, Clark was going in for a layup against the Sky when Reese came flying in to try to swat the ball away. Instead, her arm smacked Clark in the head, and she went down hard.
A flagrant 1 foul was called on Reese, who had to defend herself after the game, saying she was simply trying to make a play on the ball and not trying to hurt Clark.
Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese (5) drives to the basket as Los Angeles Sparks’ Dearica Hamby defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, May 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
Clark would say the same thing, understanding Reese was just trying to help her team in the moment.
Their performances, both in college and in the pros, have made each of them reach celebrity status that transcends sports. Reese even said on the opening episode of her podcast that the 2023 national championship game between her Tigers and Clark’s Hawkeyes “changed my life forever.”
But that change has sometimes come with hate.
“I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, that are really just, they ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully,” Reese said. “But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it.”
There’s no doubt Clark and Reese have each played a significant role in growing the game of women’s basketball and women’s sports in general, which led to the WNBA wasting no time getting them on the court immediately for their latest rivalry chapter.
Also worth noting about the WNBA schedule release is the newest franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, who tip off for their first-ever game on May 16 against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Angel Reese defended her block attempt on Caitlin Clark, which resulted in a flagrant-1 foul being called. (Getty Images)
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The New York Liberty, winners of the 2024 WNBA title, will see their ring ceremony on May 17 before their matchup with the Las Vegas Aces.
The Fever and Sky will have five meetings in the 2025 season.
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