Caitlin Clark to be teammates with rival during WNBA All-Star Game

LAS VEGAS (WISH) — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is having an impressive rookie season in the WNBA.

She is averaging 16 points per game, which is the second-best scoring average on the team. Fellow guard Kelsey Mitchell leads the team in that category averaging 16.6 points per game. Clark also is averaging 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Of course, expectations for Clark have been through the roof ever since she was selected first overall by the Fever in the WNBA Draft.

She wasn’t the only rookie with big expectations this season. Another one of those rookies was forward Angel Reese, who was picked seventh overall by the Chicago Sky in the WNBA Draft.

Like Clark, Reese is living up to the hype, averaging a double-double this season. She is second on the Sky in scoring average (13.2 points per game), but leads the team in rebounding average (11.8 rebounds per game).

Clark and Reese have already faced off against each other three times this regular season with Indiana winning two of those matchups. Those games have all been thrillers.

That’s nothing new for Clark and Reese, who took part in some epic battles during their college basketball careers.

For instance, Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes beat Reese’s LSU Tigers in the Elite Eight of this past season’s NCAA Division I Tournament. The previous year, LSU got the better of Iowa in the 2023 National Championship Game .

So it’s fair to say that Clark vs. Reese is turning into a pretty good rivalry.

That rivalry will be put on hold though later this month when Clark and Reese become teammates during the WNBA All-Star Game.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, even with USA basketball or anything like that,” Clark said . “I know people are going to be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everybody else. This is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everybody on Team WNBA. They all deserve the same praise. I don’t want it to take away from any of that and just be the focal point of All-Star Weekend, because that’s not fair to them. Obviously this is something that’s really hard to accomplish. So, the best we can celebrate all of them (All-Star players) will be great. Just going to obviously soak in the experience because you never know if you’re ever going to be able to get back there. It will be fun for all of us.”

Clark and Reese will play together on the “WNBA All-Stars” team as it faces off against the “USA Women’s Basketball National Team” in the All-Star Game.

“I can’t thank my teammates and my coaches enough for just believing in me and trusting in me,” Reese said on Tuesday while holding back tears.

The All-Star Game will take place July 20 in Phoenix, Ariz.