Last year, Angel Reese was more than willing to discuss what she perceived as her large role in helping to grow the WNBA. This year, she does not want to talk about it.
Headlines were made in June of last year when Reese defiantly informed the media that the sudden interest in the WNBA and future growth of the league was not just about Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark, it was about “Me too.”
“The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of 1 person. It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that,” Reese said at the time.
On Tuesday, a reporter reminded Reese of her “bold statement” about her impact on the league and asked her if she felt the same way.
Reese’s response was brief.
What a difference a year makes!
Reese has good reason not to want to discuss her comments from last year. Since then, the nation has been treated to reams of evidence that the exponential growth of the WNBA had very little to do with Angel Reese or anyone else in the WNBA not named Caitlin Clark.
The former Iowa Hawkeye had perhaps the greatest and most impactful rookie season of any athlete, male or female, in sports history.
Clark eclipsed records for the most points scored by a rookie in WNBA history, the all-time scoring record for a point guard, the new mark for most assists in a single game, the record for most assists in a single season by any WNBA player, and the rookie record for the number of triple-doubles in a season. She also passed Diana Taurasi for second place for the most made three-pointers by any player in a season.
And that’s not even mentioning her impact on team and league merchandising, attendance, and viewership.
Angel Reese is right to let last year’s comments go. This is Caitlin Clark’s league right now; everyone knows it, including her.