Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese for the WNBA title won’t happen this season, but the WNBA’s two biggest stars are on a collision course to meet in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. As the respective Nos. 3 and 4 seeds, the Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever might clash with the Dream holding home court. All the Fever have to do is defeat the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday.
Caitlin Clark Back In WNBA Playoffs
CC was hurt last season as Kelsey Mitchell put the Fever on her back and advanced to the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces.
With an 83-65 win over the New York Liberty on Sept. 23, the Dream set a franchise record with their second 30-win season. They also have already clinched the fourth seed. The Fever have one game left to lock in the fifth seed or drop to sixth.
Most fans hope that happens, as the WNBA is anxious to kick off the postseason with the most polarizing rivalry in team sports. Reese versus Clark has taken on a life of its own in the sports realm. As far as WNBA interest goes, these two women are the sparks that lit an entire women’s basketball revolution, and as they both progress in their pro careers their fan bases have come along for the ride.
NBA and WNBA analyst Monica McNutt joined Yahoo! Sports Daily to discuss the potential matchup.
“This would be a thrilling matchup,” McNutt said. “They are tied in terms of their matchups during the regular season and that last one in particular required overtime for Indiana to put the Dream away. That was the one where the Dream had the layup at the end of regulation and it didn’t quite go their way.
“The arena down in Atlanta, they rock and support their team. I also think the Dream is a unique matchup for the Fever in that they have multiple bodies they can throw at Kelsey Mitchell,” McNutt explained.
McNutt also mentioned that Clark’s turnover rate is higher against Atlanta than with most other teams. In other words, she thinks the Dream have the Fever’s number over the course of a series.
McNutt pointed to Atlanta Dream veteran DeWanna Bonner as being an X factor with her championship experience. There’s also an underlying drama, being that Bonner joined Indiana last season and then left amidst speculation about her relationship with Clark and her willingness to be a part of that show.
Fever fans have said some very nasty things about Bonner ever since, and it’s certain she is inspired to shoot some rainbow daggers in the heart of her former team. After 17 seasons and two WNBA championships, and billing as the third all-time scorer in league history, it would be cool to see DB go out on top.
Prolific Offense vs Prolific Defense
It would not be an easy task. The Fever is the most prolific scoring team in WNBA history. Paced by “The Big Three” of Clark, Mitchell and center Aliyah Boston, the Fever lead the WNBA in scoring this season at roughly 96.7 points per game.
They became the first team in WNBA history to score at least 100 points in five consecutive games, setting a new franchise record with 123 points in a single, non-overtime victory over Connecticut.
Guard Kelsey Mitchell broke the WNBA single-season scoring record previously held by A’ja Wilson, surpassing 1,034 points alongside teammate Clark, who paces the league in assists.
Then again, the Dream is the most disruptive defense in WNBA history, according to the stats
Most WNBA fans and media agree that a Dream-Fever matchup would be epic. It would probably be more watched than any other playoff series afterward, especially if Clark is eliminated in Round 1. We already know it’s going to get nasty at times. That friendship that Reese and Clark developed while riding the pine together during Team USA’s recent FIBA championship run will be put on the back burner. Fans will help spread as much venomous information as needed to keep the tension high.
Are Fever Fans Ducking First-Round Clash With Reese’s Atlanta Dream?
In the comments, Fever fans, who were very confident about Reese’s deficiencies as a player, now prefer to avoid facing Reese the rebounding beast in the first round. They are so shook, in fact, that they prefer to face the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces.
“I think the fever need to try and avoid the dream at all costs. That is the team that I fear the most. More than the lynx more than the valks. The dream are big and athletic. Great gaurds that can potentially slow down cc and kelsey. Their front court also can cause us problems,” one fan said.
“I want Dream vs Fever but only in the Finals. Rhyne Howard vs CC is going to be a dream matchup!!” another user commented.
Fever fans seem to be ducking Atlanta, even considering giving up the final game of the season to fall to the sixth seed and having to face Las Vegas. It says a lot about the Dream when a fan base would rather face a soon-to-be five-time MVP with three WNBA titles and rested legs from abandoning FIBA duties.
One of the major knocks on Clark by Reese fans is that she has never won a championship on the high school, college or pro level. Reese won several titles in high school, and defeated Clark for the 2023 NCAA Championship with LSU. Clark has gotten more flowers for her record-breaking WNBA career, but Reese has been just as prolific with her rebounding prowess.
It won’t be the WNBA Finals, and it might not even happen. But WNBA fans are bracing for an Angel Reese versus Caitlin Clark first round that is sure to boost ratings throughout the playoffs.
