BJ Davis @harlemque3 - Twitter Profile

ESPN recently labeled the “Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark rivalry” one of the biggest disappointments of the season — and it’s not hard to see why. This is what happens when a rivalry is not organic. These two had already faced off multiple times before their highly publicized NCAA championship matchup. Back when Reese was at Maryland, she won all three meetings against Clark’s Iowa team — two of which aired on ESPN. Yet, none were framed as marquee matchups or billed as a budding rivalry. Much of the so-called tension is traced back to their high school days. But if crossing paths at elite tournaments is all it takes, then nearly every top recruit could be labeled a rival. Most elite players run into each other often on the AAU circuit. That alone doesn’t build a rivalry. Now in the WNBA, their situations couldn’t be more different. Reese joined a rebuilding Chicago Sky team that lost four of its top five scorers from last season. Clark, on the other hand, landed with an Indiana Fever squad that returned all five starters and made an eight-win leap from the previous year. Predictably, the more stable and upward-trending team has come out on top. That wasn’t always the case. When Marina Mabrey and Chennedy Carter were both active for Chicago, the series was competitive — with Indiana holding a 2-1 edge and each game decided by single digits. But since then, the games have been lopsided. But even when the series was competitive early on, it still wasn't a organic basketball-driven rivalry. At this point, the so-called rivalry is largely kept alive by one fanbase — Clark’s — but without structural balance or competitive parity, it has never held much weight. From Maryland’s wins over Iowa, to LSU easily handling Iowa, to Indiana blowing out Chicago in nearly every game, there’s been little evidence of a true rivalry at any stage. Until the Sky build around Reese the way Indiana has around Clark, this narrative likely won't deliver the entertainment value many hoped for — and maybe it shouldn’t be expected to.