When the 2025 WNBA season tipped off, plenty of WNBA prognosticators (including us) were very bullish on the Chicago Sky’s chances of making the playoffs.
After all, injuries down the stretch were what derailed the Sky late and, perhaps, a Sky team that stayed healthy for the entirety of the season could earn one of those final berths into the postseason.
Except this season has been a trying one thus far for Chicago. The day the Sky let go of Teresa Weatherspoon is looking more like a day the Sky are ruing. Chicago is 3-10 as of this writing and are only two games ahead of the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Sun for most losses in the W this season.
One reason they are not losing games is Angel Reese. While adding more of a “point-forward” game to her bag, Reese has also stuck to her bread and butter in terms of being the double-double Barbie with her scoring and rebounding.
In the Sky’s most recent contest against the Atlanta Dream, the Dream came from behind to defeat Chicago but Reese concluded her day with 19 rebounds.
The first batch of fan votes were released. Reese was 13th which will have her as one of the reserves for this year’s All-Star festivities in Indianapolis. As expected, the overall vote leader is Caitlin Clark, but Napheesa Collier is right behind Clark in second followed by Aliyah Boston, A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart to round out the top five. Paige Bueckers is sixth.
The problem obviously is not Reese being at All-Star. The problem is Reese being in Indianapolis nowadays.
One of the negative byproducts of the Clark Effect is that the Fever fandom – and, by proxy, the WNBA fandom – has been infected with a horde of racist, mean-spirited fans. Many of these individuals admit that they only watch Clark’s games as opposed to the WNBA as a whole.
This was the obvious pitfall of putting the All-Star Game in Indianapolis in the first place, but Cathy Engelbert and the W appear to be in their money-chasing era.
If one wanted to know how much the Clark Effect is affecting the vote, look at the top vote-getters for All-Star. Those first returns showed Clark, Reese, Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull – four Fever players – in the top 10.
No disrespect to Hull – she is an x-factor on an Indiana Fever team that is looking to contend. But how does she have more votes than Brittney Sykes? How does she have more votes than any Golden State Valkyrie?
Also, speaking of the Valkyries, their All-Star votes are also being impacted by the Clark Effect. Kate Martin (Clark’s Iowa teammate) has more votes than Kayla Thornton. Martin was 31st in those first returns. Thornton was 39th.
Back to the unhealed among the Clark/Fever fandom. Many of these same individuals have also bought into a false media narrative that there is an ongoing rivalry between Reese and Clark that dates back to when LSU defeated Iowa in the 2023 national championship game. Because of that, there are lots of individuals who claim to be fans that have a hatred of Reese that supersedes their support for Clark.
The sad part is that many of these same individuals are likely to be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that Saturday night when the All-Star Game is broadcast nationally on ABC.
Remember when Reese was allegedly the target of racist insults at the season opener between the Sky and Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the WNBA’s investigation supposedly turned up nothing? We know this is happening at games the Fever are involved in – ask the Connecticut Sun in last season’s playoffs when racist insults were hurled at DiJonai Carrington because of her nails making contact with Clark’s eye.
As much as Reese is deserving of All-Star love, this has unfortunately become a possibility every time she steps foot inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fans, new media covering the W, ESPN/ABC and the WNBA itself are all responsible for creating this climate where we have to hold our collective breaths any time a hard play involves Reese in Indiana. And that goes double for if the said play also involves Clark as was the case last month.
Here is another reality that speaks to the messiness of a large portion of the Clark fandom – the fact that the teams will be named after the two top vote-getters. Clark appears to be a shoo-in for one of those and Collier would be the other if the voting concluded with that first batch of results.
What would the reaction be if Reese was chosen to be on Clark’s team? Last season’s All-Star Game was contested under the Team WNBA vs. Team USA format (since it was prior to last year’s Olympics in Paris) and both Clark and Reese were part of Team W.
Team WNBA got the better of the Olympians and Arike Ogunbowale won MVP – she has won MVP both All-Star Games contested under the USA vs. WNBA blueprint. But, arguably, the most viral moment of All-Star was when Clark passed to Reese and she finished at the rim.
There is a chance Reese could be on Clark’s team – and we already know the collective crash-out that will take place among many Clark supporters and the media that need to keep the “rivalry” narrative afloat.
One heartening bit of news regarding Reese is that she is now making money off those who claim her rebounds are “mebounds” as she trademarked the term. Reese has the mindset of a businesswoman and she has a team around her.
If this were any other city hosting All-Star, this would not be a problem. But it is Indy so it is.
The hate and vitriol that Reese has received from new Fever and WNBA “fans” has gone too far – and is something no player (not her, not Clark, not anyone) deserves. Reese should not have to think about her mental health being affected by so-called supporters simply because she stepped foot inside their city’s arena.
All-Star weekend is supposed to be a joyous, celebratory team for the W and those that are involved with the league – from fans to players to media. Angel deserves to be an All-Star and new “fans” ought to summon their better angels and put a lid on the hate.
