Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are scheduled to meet five times during the 2025 WNBA season. After a terrific rookie season for both stars, they have new expectations, with Clark’s Indiana Fever being mentioned as a potential title contenders following a busy offseason.
The Chicago Sky had a slow free agency, only adding a star, Courtney Vandersloot, on the free market. They worked some magic with their trades and brought in Ariel Atkins while dealing their No. 3 overall pick to the Washington Wizards, eventually drafting Ajsa Sivka, Hailey Van Lith, Maddy Westbeld and Aicha Coulibaly in this year’s draft.
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Chicago isn’t expected to be a contender this campaign, but they are laying the groundwork to be one of the strongest teams in the league in the mid-term.
WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles alongside Team WNBA forward Angel Reese (5).Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Even with the new additions of Paige Bueckers, Van Lith and Sonia Citron, among others, Clark and Reese remain two of the most popular players in the league. Their season opener on Saturday, May 17, is already drawing attention among fans.
Former WNBA champion Sue Bird predicted on Thursday’s episode of her “A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe” show that when these two stars clash, a new record will be set.
“First, it’s the Fever versus the Chicago Sky. Wonder why they did that,” Bird said. “We have not seen Caitlin Clark play in a long time, ok? And it’s against Angel Reese. So, my guess there is we’re gonna see like 3-plus million [viewers], which I’m sure will smash some record.”
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On June 18, 2024, CBS announced that the Fever’s 91-83 win over the Sky was the WNBA’s most-watched game in 23 years. The duel averaged 2.25 million viewers, which meant a 225% increase over a comparable game window between the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty in 2024. That game peaked at three million viewers, demonstrating that Bird’s number isn’t crazy at all.
After a record-setting 2024 season, the WNBA should get much more attention this year and Clark and Reese should play key roles.
Related: Kim Mulkey Makes Strong Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Statement
