Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese. How often have we come across articles pitting these two against each other? Too many to count. Their much-talked-about rivalry traces all the way back to the 2023 NCAA championship game, when Reese hit Clark with the iconic “you can’t see me” celebration right before clinching the title. That rivalry has continued in the W, with Reese often facing heat for her shooting struggles. But the tables have turned lately, and it’s the Reese fans piling more pressure on Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin Clark’s return to action wasn’t the one she had hoped for. After missing 5 games due to a groin injury, Clark made her long-awaited return against the Golden State Valkyries, only to get destroyed by them. The Fever lost 61-80. And Clark? Well, she had a night to forget!
She would go on to score just 10 points on 4-12 shooting from the field while providing 6 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds to end the game. That takes the Indiana record to below .500 once again. They are now 9-10 to start the season, and whatever momentum they had from the Commissioner’s Cup run has melted as quickly as an ice cream in an oven.
Jun 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Naturally, fans weren’t impressed with how Clark has played on her return. Remember when she came back after missing 5 games with a left quad injury? Back then, she dropped 32 points on the Liberty. But this time it wasn’t to be. Social media erupted with thousands of takes. The comparisons to Angel Reese were bound to happen, and this time, fans had the stats to back them up. Let’s take a look at some of the fan takes!
Fans react to Clark’s struggles as Angel Reese continues to dominate!
One Angel Reese fan posts a screenshot of Clark’s statline from the Valkyries’ game and said, “y’all wanna talk about efficiency now or does that only apply to angel???” Going 33.3% from the field was always going to raise some eyebrows, but this wasn’t a one-time thing for Caitlin.
y’all wanna talk about efficiency now or does that only apply to angel??? https://t.co/QSTj4FdBBA pic.twitter.com/lVMo9vVe72
— jay.☆ (@reese4mvp) July 9, 2025
Before her groin injury, Caitlin was struggling with shooting efficiency. She shot just 26.5% in the last 3 games and had shot just 1 three-pointer in 24 attempts. It was clear that something was wrong with her. Even though she came out and addressed the issue, saying, “I mean, there are going to be stretches that are really good and there’s going to be stretches that aren’t as good. And obviously it’s frustrating.” It’s clear that her shooting struggles are far from over. One fan even joked about it, saying, “What the h— is this? I thought y’all said she was the goat ”
Another fan quipped, “Ngl Angel Reese is ballin. She’s definitely doing better than Caitlin Clark.” And to Reese’s credit, she’s been excellent in her last 7 games! Reese is without a doubt in the form of her life. Over her last 7 games, she has dropped 122 points and 133 rebounds! And if that wasn’t enough, she’s etched her name into the WNBA history books by becoming the first player ever to record 15+ rebounds in six straight games. The longest streak of its kind in league history. Absolutely sensational!
Another player that came into the mix was Paige Bueckers! One fan commented, “Bruh Paige clears this a–.” Now Paige has shown the whole world that she means business! She has scored 179 points in her last 9 games. And if you thought that was it? Think again! Through her first 15 WNBA games, she’s putting up 18.2 points and 5.5 assists per game. Do you know what that means? These numbers make her the only rookie, alongside Caitlin Clark, to reach that mark!
Lastly, one fan said, “They gone use ‘it’s cause she coming off a injury’ for they excuse ” Now look, one can understand trolling players, but fans need to understand the context as well. Clark has already missed 10 games this season due to injury. Not playing regularly can throw off anyone’s rhythm. We, as fans, tend to forget that these players are humans as well. Not Robots! So, let’s give her a few games to settle in without those nagging injuries, and we just might see her return to peak form.
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