"One white, one black": WNBA commissioner compares Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson's dynamics

By John Ezekiel Hirro

Modified Sep 10, 2024 04:04 GMT

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert compared the league's surge in viewership and interest, driven by rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, to the impact Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had when they joined the NBA in 1979.

Appearing on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” Engelbert noted the striking parallels, as both pairs shared a college rivalry and a similar racial dynamic.

She emphasized that rivalries are essential for generating excitement, and Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese bring exactly that to the WNBA.

“It is a little like that Bird-Magic moment, if you recall from 1979, when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry—one white, one black. We have that moment with these two, but the one thing I know about sports is that you need rivalry,” she said (3:15).

“That's what makes people watch; they want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don't want everybody being nice to one another.”

Engelbert also pointed out that the current rivalry is more intense due to social media.

“Social media is different today than it was in 1979, when it didn’t exist, but, you know, I always tell the players—I was told a long time ago—if someone's typing something in and you wouldn't ask their advice, ignore it,” the commissioner said.

Engelbert is optimistic about the league’s current standing. Two games featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese drew over two million viewers each, and 25 of the top 30 most-watched games this season involved the Fever.

“One thing that's great about the league right now is that we sit at this intersection of culture, sport, fashion and music,” she said (2:58). The WNBA players are really looked at now as cultural icons, and when you have that, you have a lot of attention on you. There's no more apathy—everybody cares.”

Ex-WNBA champ says Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are actually friends

While the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese rivalry has boosted the WNBA’s popularity, former champion and Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman believes it has also fostered fan toxicity.

On "The Stephen A. Smith Show," Lieberman revealed that despite the rivalry, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are actually friends, but their reputations have been negatively impacted by fans.

“First of all, they don't even realize that the players in this league are friends with one another. So you might sit there and try to create this animosity, or you might try to bring in well, racism and this, and there's no racism,” she said.

“They're trying to pit Angel and Caitlin against each other. They're friends, by the way, they're helping grow the sport.”

Caitlin Clark is averaging 19.2 points, 8.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds this season, while Angel Reese finished her rookie campaign with 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game before a wrist injury cut her season short.