With a rivalry unlike anything we’ve seen in basketball in many years, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have propelled the WNBA to heights never before imagined.
And with that comes some accolades and recognition. The Indiana Fever guard and Chicago Sky forward lead several WNBA players on Sports Illustrated’s new list of the ’50 Most Influential Figures In Sports’.
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson joins active players on the list while six-time WNBA All-Star and current head coach at South Carolina Dawn Staley, former WNBA player and basketball analyst Candace Parker, and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert all are featured.
Reese even managed to score the cover for this issue.
“The WNBA’s golden age is just beginning,” SI shared on a social media post featuring the cover.
Women’s basketball is reaching new levels.
The WNBA’s golden age is just beginning.@Reese10Angel graces the cover of SI’s Power List issue, highlighting the 50 most influential figures in sports 🤩
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 18, 2024
📷: Taylor Ballantyne https://t.co/nYM68qzar3 pic.twitter.com/D5XIghMs0g
RELATED: Angel Reese’s Injury Costs Her Rebounding Record As A’ja Wilson Sets New Mark
Angel Reese Scores Cover Of SI’s ’50 Most Influential Sports Figures’
I’m sure some people will take exception to Angel Reese getting the cover over Caitlin Clark, but it’s not necessary. This list is an unquantifiable collection of athletes and sports figures, and both players deserve props.
And frankly, Reese is more about the glam while Caitlin delivers the results. So seeing the lovely Angel on the front gets no objection from this author. I mean, every steak needs a sizzle, right?
Sports Illustrated practically reveals their thinking with a glowing write-up about a moment when Reese made an appearance at a Megan Thee Stallion show.
She transcends.
“The 22-year-old and SI October issue cover star has long parlayed her on-court success into savvy business opportunities,” SI writes. “She recently paired up for a fitting candy partnership with Reese’s, released a collection with Reebok, and has confirmed that she has a signature shoe on the way.”
Caitlin Gets Some Love Too
While she might not have graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s list of the ’50 Most Influential Figures In Sports’, Caitlin Clark was still given her flowers.
“Generational talent is a term often thrown around in sports, but only occasionally does an athlete emerge who truly lives up to that billing. The Fever rookie is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle figures,” SI reveals.
“A phenomenon as much as she is a basketball player, Clark illustrates what happens when unparalleled skill meets the right moment.”
Wilson will almost assuredly will be league MVP this season. She’s described by the outlet as “the best pro women’s basketball player in the world right now, having won everything there is to win—twice.”
Yes, Wilson is the best player. Clark will be Rookie of the Year. And Reese is a star who taps into cultural marketing like nobody else.
Has the WNBA ever shined this bright?
More about:WNBA News