Angel Reese deletes tweet about Caitlin Clark after WNBA win

The former LSU star and Iowa standout’s bitter rivalry continues

Chicago Sky rookie and former LSU standout Angel Reese deleted a social media post on “X” this week that appeared to be aimed at WNBA No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark, a former rival player at Iowa. The share quite a history together before both were lottery picks earlier this month in the draft.

The superstars met in consecutive seasons during the NCAA Tournament, with Reese’s Tigers winning the 2022 national championship over the Hawkeyes before Iowa got revenge earlier this spring. Clark aid the widely-publicized rivalry was blown out of proportion, but Reese’s post shows that might not be the case.

Following the Sky’s 90-81 win over the New York Liberty, Reese took to “X” for this comment following her 13-point, nine-rebound outing.

“And that’s one getting a WIN in a packed arena, not just cause of one player on our charter flight,” she wrote, per USA Today.

Clark’s impact on the WNBA this season has led to an immediate financial windfall for everyone involved in the sport, including this growing chartered-flight discuss at which Reese referenced on her social media profile.

The 2022-23 women’s basketball season ended with a heated confrontation between Reese and Clark near the end of the national championship game, the first of consecutive losses by Iowa in the final game. Both players said there was no ill-will prior to last season’s long-awaited rematch showdown in the Elite Eight that drew record viewership, but it remained a major storyline.

“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 said in one episode of ESPN’s docuseries “Full Court Press.”

Reese said this spring that the animosity with Clark was a media creation. Clark mentioned the same, attributing the perceived back and forth to being top competitors.

“For me, I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” Reese said. “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. Once I get between those lines, there’s no friends. … We’re not buddies. 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.”

Reese said after last season’s loss to Clark and the Hawkeyes in the rematch that she endured threats and emotional distress for the last year from fans and social media users. Fighting back tears in the postgame, Reese poured out her emotions for portrayal as a “villain” within women’s basketball.

“I just try to stand strong … I’ve been through so much, I’ve seen so much, I’ve been attacked so many times,” Reese said. “Death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things and I’ve stood strong every single time. And I just try to stand strong for my teammates because don’t want them to see me down and like, not be there for them. I just want them to always know, I’m still a human. All this has happened since I won the national championship and I said the other day I haven’t been happy since then.

“And it sucks, but I still wouldn’t change. I wouldn’t change anything. I would still here and say I’m unapologetically me. I’m always going to stand on that. Hopefully the little girls that look up to me know … it’s not this hard and all the things that come at you, but keep being who you are, staying motivated, don’t back down and just be confident.”

The rivalry between the two superstars began after Reese taunted Clark and the Hawkeyes with WWE star John Cena “You Can’t See Me” gesture, which drew national media ire and led to immediate questions about the move in the postgame fallout.