With the new WNBA season starting up this coming week, fans haven’t been this excited in a long time. The influx of talent that has entered the WNBA is unlike anything that we have ever seen and basketball fans are rejoicing.
The rookie star power can be seen a mile away and the league is in the best shape it may ever have been. Talent like guard Caitlin Clark and forward Angel Reese are shaping the next generation of the WNBA and that also means in sales.
Both Clark and Reese performed at the top of their respective games while in college, even matching up in the championship game two seasons ago.
Reese and her LSU Tigers got the better of Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes but their presumed rivalry started then. The infamous battle between these two stars started when Reese waved off Clark in the final minutes of the title game.
Some fans didn’t like this attitude from Reese but as a competitor, Clark didn’t seem to mind.
ANGEL REESE HIT CAITLIN CLARK WITH THE "YOU CAN'T SEE ME" 👀 pic.twitter.com/Zj3mqIzkk9
— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2023
Clark is the bigger star of the two, and the buzz around her entering the WNBA is similar to that of a major motion picture.
Her star power transcends what we have seen in this league before, and her jersey sales have been off the charts. The Indiana Fever were lucky enough to draft Clark, and they have profited from this fact.
However, it seems that Clark and Reese may be competing against one another again, this time when it comes to marketing.
ALBANY, NEW YORK – APRIL 01: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Tigers during the finals of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament – Albany Regional at MVP…PHOTO BY ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES
Reese to took social media and proclaimed that her jersey had sold out. Clark’s sold out weeks ago but the popularity of Reese is also there. There is room for fans to love both of them, much like every other sport. But this rivalry seems to be taken to a new level, even in terms of jersey sales.
my jersey already being sold is crazy 🥺i love yalllll
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel)
April 21, 2024
Clark will likely win this race of jersey sales over the course of their careers but Reese can handle her own. Playing in a major city like Chicago, Reese can help dominate the market if she can keep her game up.
They both are superstars in their own right and this fictional rivalry is intriguing for the league. While the two players actually very much enjoy one another, portraying this fact can help them both sell more merchandise.
There are other players that will help the WNBA grow more as well but Clark and Reese are the faces of this rookie class. Just their mere presence alone makes for great storylines and the marketing that comes from that should be historic for the league.
