Since 1979, the gold standard of basketball rivalries is Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird. Their rivalry began in college, with Johnson’s Michigan State beating Bird’s Indiana State in the national championship game. When they joined the NBA—then a basketball league with mainstream potential—their rivalry and fans “went pro” with them, allowing the league to break through and pave the way for future generations of talented players.
Are we experiencing something similar with the WNBA right now, thanks to the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese? They face off for the first time in their WNBA careers on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Edwin Garcia recently explained why Reese is the real deal. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft who is leading the league in offensive boards, Reese is aggressive, confident and tough. Clark, the No. 1 pick in the draft, is averaging 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game. Yes, she’s also averaging 5.7 turnovers per game, but remember that Magic averaged four turnovers per game in his rookie year and 3.9 for his whole Hall of Fame career.
