Angel Reese Is Dominating the WNBA and Making Her Case as the League’s New Queen While Caitlin Clark Lags Behind
Angel Reese has never been one to back down from the spotlight. Ever since her college days at LSU, she’s embraced pressure, fed off the noise, and grown stronger with every doubter that tried to write her off. Now, just a few months into her WNBA career, she’s doing it all over again — only this time, on the biggest stage in women’s basketball. As July rolls on and the league continues to heat up, Reese is making a powerful, statistical, and emotional case as the new face of the WNBA.
The numbers don’t lie. Through the first two weeks of July, Reese ranks second in the WNBA when you combine her points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, steals per game, and blocks per game. That kind of all-around impact is rare, even among seasoned pros. It’s the type of stat line that speaks volumes about her versatility, effort, and relentless commitment on both ends of the court.
Meanwhile, the player who entered the league with perhaps the most fanfare in recent history — Caitlin Clark — finds herself all the way down at No. 16 in that same metric. Clark’s struggles, well-documented and heavily analyzed, have only added more weight to Reese’s ascendancy. While Clark is figuring things out with the Indiana Fever and should not be counted out by any stretch, Reese has been building a steady, dominant case for something bigger than just a successful rookie season. She’s making her case to be the new face of the league.
What makes Reese’s rise even more impressive is that she’s doing it with the Chicago Sky, a team that many analysts predicted would be stuck in a rebuilding phase. Instead, with Reese leading the way, they’ve become one of the most exciting and physical teams in the WNBA. She’s not padding stats on a bad team — she’s impacting winning, controlling the boards, setting the tone defensively, and providing that rare intangible spark that makes teammates better.
Averaging a double-double, logging consistent defensive highlights, and playing with a fire that energizes the entire arena, Reese has made herself impossible to ignore. Her July numbers — combined points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks — tell the story of a player who contributes in every single facet of the game. It’s not just the stats, though. It’s the presence.
Reese’s confidence is palpable. Her gestures, her stare-downs, her screams after an and-one — these moments are pure electricity. She brings a flavor to the league that fans gravitate toward and opponents have to reckon with. There’s something magnetic about her — a combination of swagger and substance — that makes her a walking highlight reel even without the ball in her hands. And when the game is on the line, she doesn’t just want the ball. She demands it.
Despite entering the league without the same media machine surrounding her as Clark, Reese has slowly but surely become the player that fans, brands, and networks are talking about. Her jersey sales have skyrocketed, her social media presence has grown immensely, and her impact is now extending beyond basketball. She’s starring in endorsement deals, giving inspirational speeches, and continuing to speak out about equity, representation, and the power of believing in yourself — all while playing some of the best basketball in the league.
In the WNBA, being the face of the league is about more than just numbers. It’s about influence. It’s about who moves the culture forward. It’s about who young fans look up to and who older fans respect. Reese is checking all those boxes. Her journey — from being counted out in college to becoming an NCAA champion and now a rookie phenom — is resonating with people across the country. Her authenticity is unmatched. She hasn’t tried to conform to any expectations. She’s stayed true to herself — and fans love her for it.
The comparisons to Clark were inevitable. They battled in college, they’ve gone toe-to-toe already in the WNBA, and their careers will likely be linked for years to come. But July has marked a turning point. While Clark has had her moments, she’s also had visible struggles adjusting to the physicality and pace of the pro game. Turnovers, shooting slumps, and defensive issues have crept in. She’s still an incredibly talented player — with limitless range and playmaking ability — but right now, she’s being outshined.
Reese, on the other hand, has looked more polished, more confident, and more composed. She’s using her strength to dominate inside, her timing to protect the rim, and her instincts to pick off passes and dive for loose balls. Every possession, she’s giving 100 percent — and it shows. Coaches trust her. Teammates rely on her. Opponents scheme around her. That’s what stars do.
As the WNBA season barrels into the second half, the race for Rookie of the Year is tighter than ever, but the narrative momentum is clearly shifting in Reese’s direction. The fans are seeing it. The broadcasters are acknowledging it. And Reese herself is embracing it. She knows exactly what she’s doing, and she’s not afraid to say it.
“I’ve always believed I belong at the top,” she recently said in a postgame interview. “I work for this. I bleed for this. I’m not here just to play — I’m here to dominate.”
It’s that attitude that separates her. It’s what elevates her from a promising rookie to a league-defining figure. She doesn’t shrink from expectations. She thrives on them. And she doesn’t just want to be one of the best — she wants to be the best.
That hunger is contagious. It’s what’s lifting the Sky. It’s what’s energizing the WNBA. And it’s what’s making headlines across every major sports platform. The shift is happening right before our eyes, and it’s impossible to ignore.
In a league that’s always in search of its next torchbearer — a player who can dominate statistically, inspire socially, and connect emotionally — Angel Reese is emerging as that torchbearer. Her rise hasn’t been handed to her. She’s earned every ounce of it. From gritty plays to game-winning sequences, she’s doing what stars do: elevate the game.
So, as fans debate who truly represents the future of the WNBA, the answer might not be as complicated as it once seemed. The league still has plenty of stars, and Clark’s story is still being written. But as of now — as July heats up and the spotlight gets even brighter — Angel Reese is standing tallest, playing hardest, and making the loudest case of all.
She’s not just in the conversation. She is the conversation.
And whether it’s by grabbing a key rebound, swatting away a potential game-winner, or flexing after an and-one in front of a roaring crowd, Reese is reminding the world of one undeniable truth:
She was born for this.
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