Everyone remembers the fight between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in college basketball when they were fighting for the 1979 title. A confrontation that later moved to the NBA. Something similar is what is happening now in the NCAA between Caitlin Clark, called to be the next number 1 in the Draft, and Angel Reese, who has been attributed the role of villain that must exist in every war.
This morning the assault has been for Clark, who with his 41 points has put Iowa in the NCAA Final Four, eliminating Reese's LSU (Louisiana), his executioner in last year's final. The most important star of university sports in the US and who is called to shape the future of the WNBA and women's basketball, shone like never before against her archenemy: 41 points, nine triples, 12 assists and 7 rebounds to sign the victory (94-97) from Iowa and sneak into the top four.
The game served as revenge against Angel Reese and LSU, who last year left Clark without a title in a controversial final. Reese showed Clark the finger on which he was going to put the championship ring. An ugly gesture that he did not like and that has earned her the role of villain in this story. “I will take on the role of villain. I'll take the hit for that, because I know we're growing women's basketball. If this is the way we are going to do it, I will do it,” said a Reese who acknowledged having lived under enormous pressure this past year. “I'm just trying to stay strong... I've been attacked so many times. Death threats, I've been sexualized, I've been threatened... All of this has happened since I won the national championship last season and I haven't been happy since then. I just want them to know that I am still human,” she lamented.
“I don't think people realize it's not personal,” Reese responded. “I think people take it as if we hate each other. Caitlin Clark and I don't hate each other. I want everyone to understand it. There's definitely that competitive fire, but it's just a game. We both want to win more than anything, and that's how it should be when you're competitive,” she said.
This is Clark's last chance to win the NCAA title since she has already announced that she will make the jump to the WNBA, where the Indiana Fever will most likely choose her number one in the draft. “This time (in the Final Four) I probably feel a little better because it's my senior year (...), but the work is not done,” she said after the game in statements to ESPN. The Final Four takes place this weekend (April 5-7) in Cleveland, Ohio.
At the beginning of March, Clark became the leading scorer in the history of college basketball (men or women), surpassing the record held by Pete Maravich since 1970, with 3,900 points, including an incredible 540 triples.
The American player is destined to be one of the biggest stars in the world of basketball. She is already one of the most coveted figures by big brands. She signed contracts with Nike, Gatorade or StateFarm, for a value estimated by the American media at more than three million dollars. Some figures that collide with the salary that she will have access to in the WNBA, where her initial salary will be just over $75,000 annually.
