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Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese gives Caitlin Clark major praise on her podcast

By Al Faqiih December 31, 2024

During a new episode of her podcast ‘Unapologetically Angel,’ the Chicago Sky star gives Caitlin Clark major praise about her shooting abilities.

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Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have had one of the most exciting rivalries in the WNBA over the past year. However, both players have shown mutual respect for each other on several occasions. Recently, the Chicago Sky star praised Clark as one of the best shooters in the league.

On a recent episode of her podcast ‘Unapologetically Angel,’ comedian Funny Marco, who is a big WNBA fan, asked her to name the best shooters in the league. “Between Caitlin, Diana Taurasi…,” she responded, before consulting Marco, who also suggested Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.

In terms of three-point shooting last season, Clark excelled with a 34.4% accuracy, closely followed by Taurasi at 33.3% and Ionescu at 33.2%. Stewart, despite her championship pedigree, experienced her lowest three-point shooting percentage, connecting on just 29.5% of her attempts.

Once again, Reese proves that between her and Clark there’s nothing but respect. Recently, the Chicago Sky forward and the Indiana Fever guard opened up about their rivalry, and what they think of the narratives from the media.

Clark said that she didn’t “get” the obsession with their relationship. “We’re not best friends by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another. Yes, we have had tremendous battles. But when have I ever guarded her? And when has she guarded me?,” she told Time. While Reese said that they don’t have “hard feelings” for each other.

Clark praises Reese’s rebounding

Clark has previously expressed admiration for Reese, specifically highlighting her offensive rebounding prowess. Earlier this year, Clark stated (via The Mirror): “The thing that really stands out is the offensive rebounding. She did the exact same thing to us when we were in college too.

“She’s just such a great offensive rebounder. She’s always just had a knack for that. It’s not always something you can teach. I think she just has a really good eye for the ball off the rim and can go get it.”

While Clark successfully guided the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016, Reese’s team, the Sky, faced a challenging season, finishing with a disappointing 13-27 record.

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From Caitlin Clark and Simone Biles to a new hockey league, women’s sports had a pivotal year

By Al Faqiih December 26, 2024

Record numbers of basketball fans filled arenas to watch the rookie seasons of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese unfold. Simone Biles captivated the world at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Coco Gauff made women’s tennis history.

It was all part of a pivotal year for women in sports, financially and culturally, and after a steady rise in popularity and reach in recent years, the women’s game is more valuable than ever.

“(Clark)’s just moved the needle of the global movement of women in sports,” said softball great and Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch, “and what a thrill it’s been to be able to see her rise.”

The consulting firm Deloitte estimated in November 2023 that women’s sports would generate more than $1 billion in global revenue this year for the first time ever, which the company said is up about 300% from its last estimate in 2021. Skyrocketing viewership and corporate sponsorships were major factors.

The WNBA in July signed a historic 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC valued at about $200 million — a jump from about $60 million currently. Players hope higher salaries and a greater share of revenue could be on the horizon as parity, star power and competition in the WNBA continue to grow.

The WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 24 years and best attendance in 22 seasons, and commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a recent state-of-the-league address that players are getting a lot more marketing deals, turning them into household names. That includes Las Vegas star A’ja Wilson, who had one of the most dominant seasons in WNBA history, and Clark, who set numerous rookie records.

The decisive Game 5 of the WNBA finals between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx drew an average of 2.2 million viewers, peaking at 3.3 million, which made it the most-watched WNBA game in 25 years.

“We’ve been growing in popularity, endorsements, media rights, all of those things,” said Amira Rose Davis, a sports historian and assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

“This period is one of rapid acceleration,” Davis continued, “where all that growth seems to switch into overdrive, where the deals are getting bigger, where the visibility is stretching out.”

Clark, the sharp-shooting Indiana guard became a phenomenon when she played at Iowa, capitalized on a foundation laid by hoops stars such as Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Wilson, and turbocharged the visibility of women’s basketball.

Ticket sales to Indiana Fever games were up 182% in 2024 from the previous season. The Fever also shattered the attendance record of 13,398 set by the Liberty in 1998 with around 16,084 tickets sold per game. And games featuring Clark and her on-court rival Reese of the Chicago Sky prompted social media debates about basketball, race and culture.

“Something that I always tried to do with me was rise and elevate the game,” said Finch, now an adviser for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. “And that’s what (Clark)’s doing and her teammates. And just to be able to watch her do it and how humbly she does it, and the impact of not only domestic women’s basketball, but women’s athletics globally. It’s a dream.”

While many point to the WNBA as a blueprint for success in women’s sports, accomplishments in 2024 went far beyond one league or athlete.

Gauff, the 20-year-old tennis superstar, was the world’s highest-paid female athlete this year with $30.4 million in earnings, according to Sportico rankings. Gauff could not defend her 2023 U.S. Open title, but ended her 2024 season with a WTA finals title and a $4.8 million check — the biggest payout ever for a women’s tennis event, per Sportico.

The Olympics neared complete gender parity for the first time among the more than 11,000 men and women who competed in Paris this summer.

More than 34 million people across all NBC platforms in the U.S. watched Biles exorcise the demons of her surprising exit from the Tokyo games three years earlier. The 27-year-old shared a message of resilience and redemption as she added four gold medals to her resume. Nearly everything she did in Paris made headlines — a clap back at social media trolls, a revelation about her mental health, a moment of triumph. Her TikTok showing Team USA’s gold medals from team competition has more than 139 million views.

“She became a symbol,” Davis said. “Whether you wanted to symbolize her as persevering, or talking about mental health or refusal, the politics of refusal. Or (whether) you wanted to symbolize her as being a quitter — being everything that you’re bemoaning about the country. Either way, both projections elevated her even more.”

And as Gauff and Biles soared, other women’s leagues leveraged that visibility.

The Pro Women’s Hockey League brought in 392,259 fans during its inaugural regular season, highlighted by a women’s hockey record crowd of 21,105 at the home arena of the NHL’s Canadiens for a Montreal-Toronto matchup. The league also reached sponsorship deals with Scotiabank, Air Canada and Hyundai.

The PWHL’s strong first season showed its organizers and players that there’s an appetite for women’s sports, so much so that there are hopes to expand from six to eight teams in 2025.

“For many of us that have been in the game for so long, it’s emotional to think about where the game’s come from, where we’ve come to,” said Jayna Hefford, the league’s senior vice president of hockey operations. “We spend a lot of time reading research and all these things that suggest the time is now and that the fandom is there. And to be able to live that and feel it in real time was pretty special.”

Keith Stein and Justine Siegal want to capitalize on the women’s sports landscape too.

Siegal, a former baseball player and coach, partnered with Stein, a lawyer and businessman, to create the Women’s Pro Baseball League, which last month announced plans to launch in 2026 as a six-team circuit for female players. It will be the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League dissolved in 1954.

“Leagues like the WNBA and (National) Women’s Soccer League have done a lot of the heavy lifting,” Stein said, “and they’re part responsible for the moment we’re having right now where women’s sport is a phenomenon.

“I think there’s, in some ways, a lot more momentum behind the development of professional women’s sports leagues than for men’s.”

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Fans Erupt in Anger as Caitlin Fans Erupt in Anger as Caitlin Clark & Simone Biles’ Shares Elite Female Athlete List With Alleged Male BoxerClark & Simone Biles’ Shares Elite Female Athlete List With Alleged Male Boxer

By Al Faqiih December 26, 2024

The Associated Press women’s player of the year was recently named. It was WNBA player Caitlin Clark. Clark had a significant impact in the league this year both in terms of performance and in bringing viewership in her rookie season itself. Thus, she won 35 votes. The athlete who finished second was the goat Simone Biles, who had a brilliant Paris Olympics where she ended up winning four medals.

Simone had a point to prove after so many people doubted her after her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics. But the gymnast showed her expertise on the mat and grabbed three gold medals. This earned her 25 votes from the jury. However, what caught fan’s attention was the third athlete on the list and the fact that the Associated Press gave Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif a place in the final.

The boxer has been under a lot of scrutiny and a topic of numerous raging debates ever since she made her first appearance in the Paris Olympics. This is because many have claimed that Imane, who competes in the female category, is a biological male. The rumors of this intensified even more when one of her opponents, Angela Carini, forfeited her bout against Imane Khelif as one of her punches hit her way too hard. This led to many fans asking for her disqualification from the competition. But Imane went on to win the gold medal, which did not sit right with many.

These people have been angered even more after she received four votes for the female athlete of the year, leading them to express their anger on social media. They believed that, as the case of Imane being a male or female still lies in ambiguity, it wasn’t right for her to be standing with two incredibly accomplished women athletes, Simone Biles and Caitlin Clark. Some, who have already made up their minds on Imane Khelif’s gender, have even trolled the boxer on social media.

One fan crudely said, “What a farce he/it got 4 votes! A group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted on the award. Clark received 35 votes, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was second with 25, and boxer Imane Khelif was third, getting four votes.” Thus, some fans were quite unhappy about the whole thing.

Olympics gold medalist’s inclusion in list sparks huge debate

Most fans were left immensely unhappy with the decision to give Imane Khelif a place in the finals of the Female Athlete of the Year list. “How was Khelif a finalist for Female Athlete of the Year? So tired of this nonsense,” said one fan. Amidst all the rumors of Imane Khelif being a biological male, the boxer had a lot of people rooting against her and waiting for the opportunity to celebrate her defeat. However, she rose above the critics and ended up winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

This is why she has also gained some support from a fraction of the fans post the competition. They believe that the boxer completely deserves her medal, and anything said against her is an attempt to pull her down while she is at the top. “If Imane Khalif is a woman, her condition does not make her any less of a woman. She doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. AND even at the end of 2024 it burns for them to see a woman succeed in a sport,” said one fan. Thus, the boxer remained a divisive subject among the fans.

But while this debate raged on, Simone Biles’ fans had a different bone to pick with the list. They completely believed that the gymnast had done enough this year in the Paris Olympics to make her the female athlete of the year over Caitlin Clarke. “I love that CC has made a huge impact on the WNBA, but she should never win any award over Simone Biles. I know gymnastics isn’t shown on ESPB every day, but people must not fully comprehend what Biles is and does. She’s the best female gymnast ever in the history of the world,” said one fan.

There is some obvious legitimacy to this claim. After all, Simone Biles winning four medals at the Olympics while defeating her rivals in gymnastics can’t be taken lightly at all. As this is such a regular task for her, many people have made the mistake of doing so, believing that this is merely habitual for her. But Simone had an extraordinary Olympics, which can very well stake a claim at the accolade.

Another fan also spoke about Simone Biles’ achievements while bringing two other candidates into the fray. “There were numerous athletes who should have been named Athlete of the Year over CC. AW scored 1000 points (first to do it) and won a gold medal. Simone Biles dominated women’s gymnastics and won multiple Olympic medals. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dominated women’s track and field.”

A’ja Wilson played a crucial role in the US basketball team winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics and thus deserves her flowers as well. On the other hand, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s unprecedented dominance in hurdling, where she has broken the world record six times, with two occasions coming this year, warranted a mention too. But this is not to say that Caitlin Clark or Imane Khelif deserved it any less. With fans continuing to pick sides, the list definitely seems to be controversial!

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Angel Reese Finally Catches Caitlin Clark’s Shadow as She Teases Exciting Multi-Million Dollar Collab

By Al Faqiih December 22, 2024

Keeping fans on their toes is an art, and nobody does it better than Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese! From Clark turning heads with golf appearances, to Reese defining pop culture with her podcast, the rookie duo have kept busy. But now, there’s a whole new thing to look forward to if you listen to Angel Reese, and we’re certainly excited! Yes, we’re talking about some hot new Reebok drops coming in 2026! But before we get to that part…

Let’s understand timelines here, and how Reebok has been catching up to competitor Nike pretty fast. The former University of Iowa star first signed with Nike in back in 2022, under the NCAA’s NIL (Name, Image and Likeness). Then in April this year, the brand signed the Indiana Fever star to a reported eight-year, $28 million deal, that also includes a signature shoe. However, that isn’t coming out until 2026, as per a Nike Q2 2025 Earnings Call transcript that surfaced on social media this week. And let us tell you, fans are not happy.

Some X users didn’t mince their words when criticizing the brand, with one writing, “Nike was a mistake for Caitlin Clark. I’ve never seen such incompetence,” while another comment read, “Way too late. Holding her hostage with the contract…”

On the flip side, Angel Reese signed with a multiyear contract endorsement extension in October, and a signature shoe release is promised some time in 2026. But don’t worry, Reese’s PEs (player exclusives) are already out, which she reminded fans on December 21. The original tweet was from I talk hoops where they were admiring Bayou Barbie’s PEs, writing, “Angel Reese’s PE shoes >>> 😍🔥✨”. Promptly, Reese shared a tweet flexing the cool designs, while tactfully reminding fans to wait till 2026 for the actual show!

“These are only PE’s!! Wait until 2026 and my actual shoe comes out 🤭,” she wrote. But, don’t think the Player Exclusives were any less eye-catching! One was a Chicago Sky-themed design featuring her bold “A” , while another flaunted a playful pink color with “Barbie” splashed across the upper. And then there was one purple-red shoe that had “Ha Ha Ha Ha” written all over the Mid Sole. One thing’s clear: Each pair is funky, stylish, and full of personality, just like Reese herself. If these PEs are any indication, her signature shoe is going to be a home run. But that’s not all…

The 22-year-old’s marketing mania stretched over all her social media accounts. On December 20, Reese showed off her new Reebok ERS PE that she was also present in the tweet we mentioned earlier. “we love a good PE,” read the caption on Instagram Stories.

Clark, on the other hand, has also been dropping her PE designs on social media from time to time as well. But, unfortunately, fans have been more concerned about the supposed delay that is happening. As per NBA agent, Nike’s hesitation for an earlier release date could be because of A’ja Wilson. Talking on the House of Strauss podcast in September, Nate Jones had said, “I think a lot of it has to do with managing everything that they’re hearing from athletes and fanbase of the WNBA. Maybe even Caitlin herself wants to avoid all that. It’s so controversial that instead of just going for it, I got handed lightning in a bottle and I don’t have a shoe for her rookie year and I’m likely not going to have a shoe for her next year. But, I’ve got the MVP of the league, A’ja Wilson, her shoes coming out. It feels like a lot of this is around avoiding upsetting that, like she can’t go before A’ja.”

For the unversed, Jones is talking about the backlash Nike had received for offering Clark signature shoes, but not A’ja, who had been signed with the brand since 2018 (her rookie year). While she was subsequently offered a signature shoe deal this year slated to be released next year, industry insiders think Nike is keeping the best for last by rolling out Wilson’s apparel first. While this decision might not make sense at first glance, if we look at Nike’s struggles, maybe we can explain it.

The $114.52 billion brand is currently going through a sales and profit slump. Nike posted net income of $1.05 billion, or 70 cents per share, in the quarter that ended August 31, as compared to $1.45 billion, or 94 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Sales also plummeted 10% to $11.59 billion. But if you askn Jones, this ‘save the best for last’ philosophy is as redundant as it can get…

“Who the f**k says she can’t go before A’ja, this is business, this isn’t charity. No matter what you think of A’ja Wilson, it’s obvious that the business opportunity with Caitlin Clark is much more substantial and much less risky.”

Having said that, as much as Reese enjoys her PEs, she also puts in the work on the court.

Angel Reese’s Unrivaled grind

After a wrist injury cut her rookie WNBA season short, Reese is now gearing up for the highly anticipated debut of the Unrivaled League, a groundbreaking 3×3 women’s basketball league set to kick off in January 2025. And she’s not taking any chances.

To prepare, Reese has enlisted elite trainer David Alexander. If his name rings a bell, it’s because he’s trained some of the biggest names in sports, including LeBron James. Alexander shared a clip of their session, captioning it, “𝐇𝐄𝐑! @angelreese5 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 / 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝟏”.

And Reese isn’t just hitting the gym; she’s putting in marathon hours off the court, too. Earlier this week, she gave fans a sneak peek into her life, sharing a Snapchat story from an 8-hour shoot. “Let the 8 hr shoot BEGINNN,” she wrote, looking a little tired but absolutely determined.

So here we are, both Reese and Clark gearing up for a 2026 sneaker showdown. Reese’s flashy PEs are already building hype, while Clark’s delayed shoe has left her fans frustrated with Nike. When 2026 rolls around, this rivalry isn’t just going to be about hoops. It’s going to be about who can own the sneaker game. Who do you think is going to win? Let us know in the comments below.

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Magic Johnson Compares Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese to Himself and Larry Bird

By Al Faqiih December 21, 2024

One of the most iconic rivalries in sports can easily be credited to former Los Angeles Lakers’ Magic Johnson and former Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird. The rivalry between these two legendary players shaped the culture of the NBA for a very long time.

Now, instead of passing the torch to a notable rivalry in the NBA, Johnson is taking a different approach, as he compares his rivalry with Bird to the budding rivalry between WNBA rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

The 80s was one of the most transformative eras in NBA History, and this era featured fierce competition including Johnson, Bird, Isaiah Thomas, and Michael Jordan. Specifically, the storyline of the Lakers and Celtics rivalry during this time helped revitalize the league and elevate its popularity.

Both teams faced off against each other in the 1980s three times during the NBA Finals, making them the most storied franchises in the NBA.

Johnson and Bird were two fierce competitors who pushed each other to acheiving excellence. Between the years 1980 and 1989, the two combined for eight NBA Championships, with one or both appearing in every finals of the decade.

Currently, Johnson believes the closest rivalry to compare since has been the budding rival between Clark and Reese. The two initially competed against each other in high-level NCAA Tournament matchups, generating millions of viewers and boosting women’s sports.

Their presence alone carried this momentum to the WNBA, making this the most successful WNBA season to date.

“I love it because to your point, they dominated in college…and then they brought it over to the WNBA, just like we brought it to the NBA,” Johnson said after being asked by host Joy Taylor about a comparison between the rivalries. “We changed the NBA. They changed the WNBA. And now everything that these young ladies have been fighting for, they’re about to get, right?”

Although there has been lots of controversy surrounding the rivalry between Clark and Reese, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that fans are engaged and excited. This has also resulted in growth within the WNBA, allowing players and coaches to see major improvements in the conditions of the league.

“They end up getting private planes now. They’re gonna get more money in terms of salary because of the new collective bargaining agreement that the NBA and WNBA did together. So, it’s just amazing the way they were able to go around arenas across the country and sell ’em out, and little girls are now dreamin’ about being like Caitlin, like Angel and others.”

The WNBA is in great hands with the current and upcoming talent joining the league.

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From Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles to a new hockey league, women’s sports had a pivotal year