Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark Speak on Rivalry Ahead of March Madness Rematch
The two players have become stars in their own right.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have been two of the biggest names in women's college basketball for quite some time. Reese went viral for taunting Clark and her teammates during last year's women's NCAA tournament, and as they prepare for another March Madness face-off on April 1, they're clarifying that they don't have any bad blood off the court.
Speaking with reporters on March 31, Clark said that she and Reese "have always been great competitors."
"Obviously she played in the Big Ten for a while to begin her career [at the University of Maryland], and that’s what makes women’s basketball so fun is you have great competition, and that’s what we’ve had all year long," Clark said of the current LSU star, per People.
She also pointed out that she and Reese aren't the only women's basketball players in the world, despite the media attention around them. "That’s what makes it so good,” she said. "We need multiple people to be really good."
Reese, meanwhile, explained to the press that many might not understand the true nature of their relationship. "I don't think people realize it's not personal," she said. "Once we get out between those lines… if I see you walking down the street, it's like, 'Hey, girl, what's up? Let's hang out.'"
"I think people just take it like we hate each other," Reese continued. "Me and Caitlin Clark don't hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It's just a super-competitive game.”
"Once I get between those lines, there's no friends," the LSU star stated plainly. “I have plenty of friends outside of the game. But when I get between those lines, we're not we're not friends. We're not buddies."
Related: Caitlin Clark Shares Heartfelt Goodbye Message After Final Game in Iowa
As for her taunts of Clark, Reese said it's all a part of the game when she's on the court. "I'm going to talk trash to you. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it. I don't think people really realize that," she said.
Reese and Clark will take the court together once again in an Elite Eight match on April 1. It's set to be a busy month for Clark between juggling a lucrative offer from Ice Cube and entering the WNBA draft on April 15.