Here's What Is Really Going On Between Caitlin Clark And Angel Reese

Caitlin Clark has opened up about her long-standing "beef" with Angel Reese.

Clark and Reese, who are best known for their basketball court achievements at University of Iowa and Louisiana State University, respectively, have since graduated into the WNBA — but the sports community is still interested in their past tension, which often surfaced during their occasional meetups on the court. Over the years, the basketball stars have made headlines when their competitiveness colored their interactions. In April 2023, Reese taunted Clark with the John Cena-inspired "you can't see me" hand gesture after LSU beat Iowa, and was greatly criticized for it by certain pockets of the sports community.

Clark, who used the same gesture on another team from Louisville a year prior, later defended her rival amid social media backlash. "I don't think Angel should be criticized at all," Clark said on "Outside the Lines," according to CBS Sports. "No matter which way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I'm just one that competes, and she competed." She continued, "I think everybody knew there was going to be a little trash talk. It's not just me and Angel. I don't think she should be criticized, like I said. LSU deserves it. They played so well. Like I said, I'm a big fan of hers."

However, Clark has since vented her frustration about their interaction.

Caitlin Clark doesn't appreciate how the fans' obsession over her rivalry with Angel Reese overshadowed University of Iowa's 2024 NCAA achievements. "That's the only thing people wanted to talk about when we just went on this magical run and united so many people, and that, like, was frustrating to me," Clark revealed during the "Full Court Press" docuseries, which aired on ESPN+ over Mother's Day weekend 2024 (via the New York Post).

Reese also spoke out about how her rivalry with Clark took precedence over LSU's feats. "It was frustrating, but to see how much we've grown women's basketball over the past few weeks," Reese said in a May 2023 appearance on Jennifer Hudson's talk show. "9.9 million people watched the game, that's more than the men ... I'm so happy that we won the championship, and I wish it was more talked about ... as much as they talked about the Caitlin situation."

With that said, Reese chimed in later in the ESPN+ doc and assured fans the tension between them wasn't personal. "For me, I don't think people realize it's not personal," Reese said (via BroBible). "I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don't hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It's just a super competitive game. I just wish people would realize that," she continued.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese may be fierce competitors on the court, but they've actually spoken quite highly of each other over the past few years. For example, Clark complimented Reese in March 2024 ahead of the Elite Eight matchup. "I would say me and Angel have always been great competitors," said Clark (via Fox News). "I think Angel would say the same, like it's not just us in women's basketball. That's not the only competitive thing about where our game is at, and that's what makes it so good. We need multiple people to be really good."

Meanwhile, Reese has also given Clark her flowers. "I love that we're able to compete and still be cool after, regardless of the outside noise," Reese shared with Women's Health that same month. "When we get between the lines and we're ready to compete, we just want to win. That's just the group of women — we always want to win, and we're strong and super powerful in everything that we do." As the publication noted, Reese also congratulated Clark after she broke the NCAA Division 1 scoring record in February 2024.