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The on-court rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese began in the 2023 NCAA championship game. It's slated to reach an entirely new level in 2026, as Clark is poised to spearhead the Indiana Fever's championship charge while Reese hopes to elevate her new team, the Atlanta Dream, into the WNBA Finals for the first time this decade.
Both Clark and Reese are commonly regarded as two of the WNBA's top young players. Drafted six picks apart in 2024, the two already have made history in their short time as professionals. Reese is a two-time rebounding champion; Clark was named Rookie of the Year in 2024 and broke the league's single-season assists record (though that mark was broken again in 2025).
MORE: Fever fans won't like Caitlin Clark's new ranking among WNBA players
ESPN has newly ranked the WNBA's top 50 players, a little more than a week before the start of the highly-anticipated 2026 season. And where the outlet has placed Reese and Clark adds a new element to their rivalry.
While ESPN ranks Clark as the WNBA's 10th-best player, Reese -- arguably the single-best rebounder in league history at age 23 -- sits 22nd, a reflection both of her talent and how her game can still grow as she embarks on a new adventure with Atlanta.
Reese's shot mechanics have to improve under Dream head coach Karl Smesko, who also will challenge the former LSU star to build on the promise she displayed as a ball-handler. But as the league's top rebounder joining the league's top rebounding team, everyone knows just what Reese's bread and butter is.
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