- WNBA. The Caitlin Clark - Angel Reese WNBA conspiracy theory: Is the league pushing rookies for ratings?
- WNBA. Caitlin Clark's magic: despite criticism, she's the Fever's new leader and the numbers prove it
Since both played in the NCAA, the comparison and rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have been widely discussed in the media, on social networks, and among women's basketball fans. Now that both were drafted into the WNBA this year, the comparisons continue regarding who has had a better start to their professional careers.
In Clark's case, her team, the Indiana Fever, has not won in their first five games (0-5), while Reese's team, the Chicago Sky, has only played three games and has a record of 2-1. So in of wins, Reese has the clear advantage at the moment.
But what about their individual stats in the WNBA games they have played? There, things are different, as Clark, as many expected, has outperformed her eternal NCAA rival.
So far, Clark sures Reese in several key statistics, especially those directly impacting the scoreboard: points scored and assists per game. Currently, Caitlin Clark averages 17.8 points per game and 5.8 assists, while Angel Reese averages 12 points per game and 1.3 assists.
Clark has played more minutes on average (31.4) than Reese (27.7), with a better field goal percentage (40.3% vs. 33.3%), free throw percentage (91.3% vs. 58.3%), and three-point shooting percentage (32.6% for Clark vs. 0% for Reese).
In fact, the only stats in which Reese sures Clark are on the defensive end, as the Sky player averages 8.7 rebounds (both offensive and defensive) per game compared to Clark's 4.6. Reese also has fewer turnovers, averaging 1.7 per game compared to Clark's 5.8.
The comparison should be fair, with the same number of games
The previous numbers consider Clark's five games versus only three for Reese, so it would be fair to compare their performance over the same number of games. Even then, Clark's performance sures Reese's.
In their first three games, Clark averaged 32 minutes played compared to Reese's 27.3. In of points, Clark averaged 17 per game versus Reese's 12; in assists, the Indiana Fever player averaged 5.6 per game versus the Chicago Sky player's 1.3. Clark's field goal percentage was 37.06% compared to Reese's 33%, while her free throw effectiveness was 66.66% versus Reese's 58.06%. Clark's three-point shooting effectiveness was 30.23% compared to Reese's 0%.
These numbers show that while Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky have navigated the season better so far (with two wins and one loss) compared to Clark and the Indiana Fever (who have lost five but have shown better performance in their last two games), in of impact on their team, the winner is Caitlin Clark. She leads her team in points scored and assists, while Reese leads the Sky only in rebounds.