Caitlin Clark speaks out on importance of beating rivals ahead of matchup with Angel Reese

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will renew their rivalry Saturday in the WNBA season opener between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. 

Clark opened up to ESPN about facing her rival to start their second season.

"Rivalries are real, and that's what makes sports so amazing," Clark said. "There's certain teams that those games just mean a little bit more. [We] come out here and play the same way every night, but [a rivalry] gets the fans involved, and they love it."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The two players have been pitted against each other on the court and by fans and media ever since their controversial battle in the 2023 NCAA championship game. Reese taunted Clark by pointing to her ring finger during the game, prompting outrage and sparking an ongoing feud between fans. 

Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes got revenge on Reese's LSU Tigers a year later in the Elite Eight, but the tension hit a whole new level when the players reached the pros for their rookie WNBA seasons.

INSIDE CAITLIN CLARK AND ANGEL REESE'S IMPACT ON MEN'S BASKETBALL

Clark took a series of questionable fouls from Reese's Sky throughout the 2024 season, including one from Reese June 16. 

Clark also took an infamous illegal hip check from Chicago Sky forward Chennedy Carter June 1. Then, in late August, Chicago's Diamond DeShields committed a hard foul on Clark, who went flying across the floor. The foul was later upgraded to a flagrant violation, and DeShields later posted screenshots of hate messages she had received from the foul.

But Clark's team prevailed, taking three of the four meetings between the two teams last year, which were among the most-watched WNBA contests all season. 

The Sky and Fever meet five times in 2025. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.