INDIANAPOLIS — Season one of the WNBA’s Clark & Reese Show has been unlike anything the league has ever produced.
Sure, the final chapter is still unscripted with the playoffs set to start Sunday. But the rookie years Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky have had just to this point — and the attention they have drawn along the way — makes the league’s outlook extremely bright beyond this postseason.
Sold-out arenas became the norm. Soaring television ratings helped expand the fan base. Top draft pick Clark, No. 7 selection Reese, veteran star A’ja Wilson — the presumptive league MVP as the 28-year-old center seeks to help the Las Vegas Aces to a third straight WNBA title — and others continually chased record-breaking statistics. And routine conversations and social media posts spurred sometimes heated debates about everything from basketball to culture.
“Watching the basketball that’s been played this season and the talent that’s been on the floor across the league, it’s been phenomenal,” Chicago Sky veteran Lindsay Allen said. “The two rookies, Caitlin and Angel — Angel has been huge for us and has been setting records. The basketball has been at a very, very high level, and the interest has been, too.”
It’s impossible to ignore how much the sport has evolved since Clark, Reese and arguably the best rookie class in WNBA history arrived in April. The timing for the league was perfect, too.