Caitlin Clark warns against media-created WNBA rivalries

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has criticised coverage that creates sporting rivalries beyond what exists between the athletes involved, while acknowledging that genuine competition can lift interest in a sport.

“There’s always going to be rivals, and I think that’s a really positive thing,” Clark said in comments reported by Yahoo Sports. She argued that rivalries should be allowed to develop naturally rather than manufactured through coverage.

Clark said rivalries could motivate athletes and provide an extra competitive edge, but added that media narratives were sometimes “probably not 110% real”. The comments were linked to ongoing speculation about her perceived rivalry with Angel Reese.

That storyline dates to the 2023 NCAA championship game, when LSU defeated Iowa and Reese directed a “you can’t see me” gesture towards Clark. The supplied report does not establish that Clark named Reese or confirmed a personal rivalry.

The report lists Clark as averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in the 2026 WNBA regular season. Reese is listed at 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.