Geno Auriemma got real on what Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese bring to the WNBA

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky have brought a lot of attention to the WNBA, and some believe that the two have received unfair treatment from veteran players who are jealous that they did not get the same level of attention when they came into the league. UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma spoke on that dynamic, and what the best path forward is for WNBA players.

“[Caitlin] and Angel Reese are not the two best players in the WNBA, but they’re the two most talked about players in the WNBA right now,” Geno Auriemma said, via @VanshayM on X. “If you’re some of those players, going back to your question, you can moan and groan about why weren’t they talking about me when I was here, well, or you can just appreciate what it is and take advantage of it now. But at some point it’s always going to be about the game. It’s not going to be about all the other stuff off the court and all the other extracurricular stuff that goes on. At some point, all of them are going to have to be really, really good.”

“[Caitlin] and Angel Reese are not the two best players in the WNBA, but they’re the two most talked about players in the WNBA right now. If you’re some of the players… you can moan and groan about why weren’t they talking about me when I was here… or you can just appreciate…

In the recent past, Auriemma has said that the expectations that have been put on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are unfair, and that there should have been some level of expectation that they would struggle. The veteran WNBA players were not going to let them come in and dominate as rookies, and Auriemma noted that Clark in particular will have to take some time to be ready physically to play against WNBA competition. There is no shame in that, he also said the same for if UConn star Paige Bueckers were to play in the WNBA right now.

Regardless, Clark and Reese have a bit of a rivalry, which is good for the league. The Fever and Sky have matched up three times so far, with Indiana taking the first two games before Chicago won the third matchup this past Sunday on the back of Reese’s best game in the WNBA to this point.

How are Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese faring in the WNBA?

So far in Clark’s WNBA career with the Fever, she is averaging 16.3 points per game with 5.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists, but is shooting 39.9 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three. Clark undoubtedly will want to improve her efficiency throughout the season and her career as a whole. There is still time, and she has flashed the talent that made her the No. 1 pick.

With the Sky, Reese is averaging 13.2 points per game with a 11.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists. The rebounding number is particularly impressive, and is an aspect of her game that translated immediately from college. However, she is shooting 40.6 percent from the field, which is something she will want to improve on as well.

Both players have shown promise so far this season, but have areas to improve. Overall, both of them have been great for the league in terms of the attention they bring.

Ryan Bologna is an experienced sports writer covering the NFL, MLB, and NCAA Basketball for ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn, and has bylines at New York Sports Nation and the Greenwich Free Press.