Angel Reese and Caitlin Clarke set the NCAA women's basketball world on fire after their teams locked horns in the championship game last April. Helping to elevate the women's game to fans, the pair were named Sporting News Athletes of the Year, which has sparked some interesting discussions on social media.
Louisiana State University forward Angel Reese and Iowa State University guard Caitlin Clark have been electrifying during their run to the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Some observers of the individual players said Clark is the best overall player, but Reese won the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award. It's not exactly apples and oranges, but a case could be made for how great both players were.
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Their impact on their sport in particular, and the sports world in general, has led The Sporting News to select Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as the 2023 Athletes of the Year, making them Shohei Ohtani's successors to soccer superstar Lionel Messi and placing in the same category as icons LeBron James, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
“I was in the game. Caitlin and I are friends, and Angel is remarkable… It just made me smile, it honestly made me smile, just to see the growth of the game, the incredible athletes on both sides,” Nancy Lieberman, first woman to become famous playing basketball, she told The Sporting News. “It's really great to see where the game has gone and finally be able to continue with some mainstream appeal.”
Opinions on X have been divided with some saying Angel Reese should have the honor alone, while others say Caitlin Clark deserved the honor. We have reactions from all sides below.
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Photo: Ben Solomon/Getty
