The WNBA has experienced a popularity explosion in 2024. Much of that growth can be attributed to rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and incidentally, their shared story. Fortunately for us as fans, Sky vs. Fever will unravel the next chapter this Friday (Aug. 30) evening.
Familiar Foes
Transparently, Clark vs. Reese gained substantial notoriety after the 2022-23 NCAA women’s basketball title game.
In the aforementioned bid, Reese and LSU outlasted Iowa for the Fighting Tigers’ first March Madness championship in women’s hoops. One year later, Clark and the Hawkeyes eliminated Reese’s Tigers in the Elite Eight.
However, Reese started her college playing days at Maryland. Between 2020 and 2022, she and Clark were both a part of the Big Ten conference. Throughout that two-year span, Iowa was unable to defeat the Terrapins.
From March Madness To The WNBA
At the 2024 WNBA draft, Clark was picked first overall by the Indiana Fever while the Chicago Sky used the seventh selection on Reese.
Since turning pro, Clark’s Fever and Reese’s Sky have already squared off in three games. Heading into Friday’s clash, Clark holds a 2-1 professional advantage when going against Reese. However, Reese still maintains a 5-3 lifetime record versus Clark.
This season, the home team has been victorious every time the Fever and Sky have tangled. Most recently (Jun. 23), we saw a contest between these sides at Wintrust Arena wherein the Sky edged out a 88-87 win.
Of course, Chicago’s Wintrust Arena is the venue once again this Friday.
Crunch Time
The upcoming tilt between the Fever and Sky will be their final regular season meeting of the year.
Entering the weekend, the two Midwestern franchises are log-jammed in the Eastern Conference’s standings. Still, in the W, it is the league-wide standings that are most important. There, Indiana and Chicago sit in seventh and eighth-place, which would make them the final two teams eligible for the WNBA postseason.
Friday’s game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Fever are coming off a road win against the Connecticut Sun wherein Clark broke the league record for most three-pointers made in a season by a rookie. Across the court, the Sky last played on Wednesday, hosting the Washington Mystics in a 74-70 loss.
When going against Chicago, Clark will almost certainly match up with Sky guard Chennedy Carter. The fourth-year pro from Texas A&M is a fierce scorer (17.2 PPG) and defender (1.1 steals per game). As exemplified in earlier Fever-Sky meetings, Carter has already shown a willingness to get physical with Clark, who is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
Reese is not only Chicago’s top rebounder but she paces the entire W at 12.9 RPG. The 6-foot-3 forward is also bringing down an average of 5.2 offensive rebounds per game. Transparently, Reese has been a double-double machine in 2024—she’s compiled 22 in 30 games.
Clark is having the greatest passing campaign from any rookie in WNBA history. Her 8.2 APG is presently the league’s best mark. From there, Clark is scoring 18.0 PPG, which is second on Indiana after guard Kelsey Mitchell (18.2 PPG).
Per ESPN Analytics, Chicago is yielding a 55.5% chance to defeat the Fever at home on Friday evening. Still, DraftKings Sportsbook lists Indiana as 5.5-point road favorites versus the Sky.
Get your popcorn ready!