Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have spent much of their careers being compared, whether the discussion centers on their production, popularity, or impact on the WNBA. On Friday, though, the two rivals found themselves linked for a very different reason.
Reese’s latest outing came just one night after Clark endured a difficult finish against the Las Vegas Aces. The timing made the Dream forward’s performance even more notable and quickly sent the WNBA world into reaction mode.
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Angel Reese’s Nightmare Night vs. Mystics Sparks WNBA Reaction, Caitlin Clark Comparisons
Reese arguably had the roughest game of her 2026 season as the Atlanta Dream fell 79-74 to the Washington Mystics on Friday. The All-Star forward struggled, although she still found ways to contribute elsewhere.
Before Friday, Reese’s lowest scoring output in her first season with Atlanta had been an 8-point, 5-rebound performance against her former team, the Chicago Sky, last month. She shot 3-for-13 in that game, but Atlanta still escaped with a 93-91 victory.
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This time, there was no such ending for Reese.
She finished with just 7 points on 1-for-12 shooting. She did, however, collect 16 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block as Atlanta tried to stay within striking distance.
Her struggles came roughly 24 hours after Clark also endured a disappointing night against the defending champs.
In the Fever‘s 86-84 overtime loss to the Aces, the usually reliable point guard missed two free throws that could have sealed the game in regulation.
Clark later committed a costly turnover that helped set up Chelsea Gray‘s game-winning 3-pointer. The back-to-back struggles from two of the WNBA’s biggest rivals immediately caught the attention of fans and observers.
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“Shout out Angel Reese for showing solidarity to Caitlin Clark by joining her in having an all-time stinker in the last 26 hours,” an X user wrote.
“Angel Reese couldn’t hit the Pacific Ocean with a pebble from an airplane 15 feet in the air,” podcaster Jaime Lardis added.
“Getting blocked 6 times is crazy,” a Fever fan continued.
“She’s not that good,” a media consultant remarked.
“No bag,” a podcaster reacted to a clip of Reese’s plays.
“Angel Reese WENT OFF tonight. … She got blocked SIX TIMES,” House of Lowlights posted.
Reese’s shooting struggles were particularly glaring inside the paint.
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One WNBA observer highlighted the issue with a graph showing the former “Chi Barbie” missing all but one of her attempts from within three feet.
Despite Reese’s offensive struggles, Atlanta made things interesting late. The Dream erased a 16-point deficit and pulled within 77-74 with 32.3 seconds remaining.
That comeback attempt, however, ended when Shakira Austin answered with a layup to restore Washington’s cushion. Allisha Gray missed a 33-footer on the ensuing possession as the Mystics closed out the victory.
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For Reese, the night will ultimately be remembered less for the 16 rebounds or defensive plays than for the 1-for-12 shooting performance that helped fuel the postgame conversation.
And with Clark having endured her own late-game collapse just a night earlier, the timing was almost too perfect for WNBA fans to resist another chapter in their long-running rivalry.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
