The sports world loves its rivalries, but Arike Ogunbowale isn’t convinced about the big WNBA showdown this season.
Ogunbowale’s Take on the Rivalry:
In a recent interview with USA Today, Ogunbowale shared her thoughts on the supposed rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. According to her, the media is exaggerating their competition. She finds it amusing because they play different positions and never actually guard each other.
>”I do think the AngelโCaitlin thing is funny,” she said with a chuckle. “They’re two totally different positions, and the media tries to make them be like competition. It’s like, that’s a guard and that’s a post. So, at the end of the day, they never even guarded each other. It’s not really a ‘rivalry,’ but it’s just funny how people hype it up.”
Arike Ogunbowale spoke on the Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark "rivalry" ๐
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)
Mutual Respect Amidst Media Hype:
Ogunbowale emphasized that both players respect each other despite what the media portrays. This mutual respect contrasts sharply with some of their interactions on court since facing off in the 2023 NCAA women’s championship.
The tension continued into WNBA games this summer when Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes met Reese’s LSU Tigers again in 2024 Elite Eight matchups and subsequent games between Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky.
Reese even commented after one game that Clark received special treatment from referees on foul calls.
Fans often wonder if these rivalries are real or just for show.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vwJoLyqDBps%3Fshowinfo%3D0
Record-Breaking Viewership:
This season saw three faceoffs between Fever and Sky, culminating in Friday’s game. According to Sports Illustrated, these matches drew record-breaking viewership numbers for regular-season WNBA games in over two decades.
Whether or not this rivalry is genuine doesn’t seem to matter; it’s definitely pulling more fans into watching!
