Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese: Who Should Have Won Athlete of the Year?

Women’s sports have been on the rise over the past year, thanks in large part to the rivalry between two of college hoops’ biggest stars.

Sporting News recently named LSU basketball star Angel Reese and Iowa sharpshooter Caitlin Clark Co-Athletes of the Year. The move drew plenty of criticism from fans on social media platform X, who would have preferred a single winner. In fact, some people even felt like giving the award to two co-winners devalued the accomplishment.

The announcement marked just the second time ever that a female athlete won the award. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was named Sporting News Athlete of the Year in 1988.

Who Deserved To Win Sporting News Athlete of the Year?

Choosing a single winner proved to be a difficult task for the Sporting News writers.

Reese led LSU to the national title, won the Most Outstanding Player award at the NCAA Tournament, and set the single-season record with 34 double-doubles. Meanwhile, Clark won AP Player of the Year and made a lasting impact on women’s college basketball, drawing in more attention than any other player in the sport.

Already top-10 on the all-time scoring list in women’s college basketball, Clark is the only player on either the men’s or women’s side to finish their career with over 3,000 points, 750 rebounds, and 750 assists. She also has more 30-plus point games than any player in the past 25 years, having eclipsed the total 42 times.

While Reese had more success on the court, Clark’s impact on the sport at large was simply undeniable. However, it would have been difficult to give the award to Clark alone, given that Reese led her team to a national title win against Iowa.

Clark vs Reese Rivalry Is Good For Women’s College Basketball

The Clark vs Reese rivalry proved to be great for TV ratings and the superstars appear to be on a collision course to meet again in 2024.

Last year’s women’s college basketball championship game drew an average of 9.9 million viewers and peaked at around 12.6 million viewers, nearly double the viewership of the previous year.

LSU vs Iowa turned out to be the most-watched college event ever on ESPN+ and the most-viewed NCAA women’s basketball game ever.

No matter how you feel about Reese or Clark, the rivalry between the two hoops stars has put women’s sports back on the map.