Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark: Who will finish with the most impactful WNBA legacy?

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in September 2024 that the league was having its "Bird-Magic moment" when Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered the league together a few months earlier.

This sparked a polarizing WNBA debate involving Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. Who is better? Who will have the better career?

Since their college basketball days, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been compared to one another. They’ll always be linked, especially considering that they entered the WNBA at the same time after their memorable NCAA battles.

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We’ll analyze both players to see which will have the greater WNBA legacy when all is said and done. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

We’ll start by looking at the legacy Caitlin Clark may leave behind. It’s hard to argue that there has been a more entertaining player to watch in recent women’s basketball history than Clark. Rivals’ website believes that she’s already the best women’s basketball player who ever lived, although time will tell if that becomes the case.

Barstool Sports wrote in July 2024 that Caitlin Clark was taking deeper three point shots on average than NBA stars Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Trae Young. Her confidence and prolific ability has made her a favorite amongst the basketball public, as no shot seems to be off limits for her.

Although Clark’s game is an aesthetically pleasing one from a skills perspective, she brings a competitive fire that is not often seen. Athlon Sports commented on footage revealed to the public showing Clark yelling at Indiana Fever teammates at practice as they worked on their defensive switching.

USA Today wrote a piece comparing Clark’s competitive nature to the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady. Nancy Armour wrote “It’s an asset, not a flaw,” and that assessment has proven to be accurate given the great heights Clark has reached in her career thus far.

Clark isn’t just a dynamic shooter from all areas of the court. She’s one of the best WNBA players at setting up her teammates for open looks.

Former WNBA player and current analyst Rebecca Lobo believes that Clark is the best passer in the WNBA already. Marca wrote about the rate at which Clark is recording assists, which is also unfolding at a previously unforeseen clip for a rookie.

The Fever struggled to get victories out of the gate as Clark got accustomed to the WNBA, but she’s stepped it up since the rocky start to the season. The learning curve has proven to be a pretty short one, which bodes well for her ability to get Indiana to where they want to go sooner rather than later.

According to Fanatics, Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever jersey sold out before the 2024 WNBA Draft, which is the first time that had ever happened. According to NBC News, coverage of the 2024 WNBA Draft set records that far exceeded anything that had previously been seen before.

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We’ve dived into the impact Clark has had and continues to have on the WNBA, and we’ll take a closer look at Angel Reese’s potential in the league. She also has an enormous following, although it might be for slightly different reasons than Clark, which is the way Reese likes it.

Reese told Sports Illustrated, “I’ll take the bad guy role and I’ll continue to take that on and be that for my teammates. I know I’ll go down in history, I’ll look back in 20 years and be like the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person, it’s because of me too, and I want y’all to realize that.”

Reese also told People, “Everybody’s always going to have an opinion, if you’re the greatest or the worst. I am who I am and I accept who I am. People are going to either love it or hate it. I think that separates you from whoever else.”

During her rookie season, Angel Reese launched her own podcast, titled 'Unapologetically Angel'. It’s an interesting move that gives her a platform to speak her mind on a variety of topics. This might allow fans to feel more connected to Reese than they would to Clark or many other WNBA players.

On the floor, Reese has not let anything get in her way of grabbing rebounds. She set a WNBA record during the 2024 campaign by posting 15 consecutive double-doubles. It stands to reason that Reese is a candidate to improve on that mark as her career goes on.

It’s pretty apparent that Reese’s drive to pursue the ball is a notch above everyone else. Former Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon told CBS Sports, “That’s grit and grind like we always say. It’s a will and a want to… That’s all her desire to go get a rebound and create second-chance opportunities.”

Perhaps the effort Reese plays with comes from a motivation stemming from the fact that she may have been overlooked. She told USA Today, “It was a blessing I dropped to seventh, putting me with these amazing teammates and amazing coaches. She (Weatherspoon) told me just believe in myself. Surprise yourself before you surprise others.”

While Clark figures to shoot the lights out and dazzle with dynamic passes, Reese has the ability to dominate a game in the paint with her presence and energy. This could be a good thing, considering that she will be judged on a completely different scale with regard to statistics and production.

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Will Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese have the more impressive WNBA legacy? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment!