Former ESPN star diminishes ‘the Angel Reese effect’ compared to Caitlin Clark

Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream are set to host Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries next week, with ticket prices reportedly hitting record levels for the franchise's first Finals home games in more than a decade.

But one longtime sports media figure isn't ready to give Reese all the credit for that demand.

Former ESPN anchor Linda Cohn said the conversation comparing an "Angel Reese effect" to the "Caitlin Clark effect" is "getting ahead of itself," arguing that Atlanta's crowd will be there for the whole team and the moment, not just one player.

Dream Move Finals Games to State Farm Arena

Atlanta's run to the Finals forced a venue change. The Dream normally play at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, which seats about 3,500 for basketball.

After working around a concert and two Atlanta Hawks games, the Dream and Hawks reached a compromise to move Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena, which holds roughly 17,000. Game 3 is now set for Wednesday, Oct. 21, with Game 4 on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.

With a much bigger arena, demand followed as the get-in price for Game 3 hit $201, the highest for any WNBA Finals game on record, according to TickPick data cited by Bleacher Report .

The record-breaking ticket prices quickly sparked comparisons to Clark and the Indiana Fever, who have driven attendance and ratings records since she entered the league. Cohn, however, pushed back on that comparison in a video on X as she claimed that Reese was not the only one fueling the demand.

"Angel Reese, we all know, has become one of the biggest names in the WNBA. She's helping bring attention to the Atlanta Dream. She's done it. Now Atlanta has other outstanding players. She hasn't done this alone," Cohn said.

She pointed to Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, and Allisha Gray before getting to her main point.

"People are already trying to compare the Angel Reese effect with a Caitlin Clark effect. And my question is, based on what exactly? A few ticket listings?" Cohn said.

Cohn added that Clark's impact has been "extraordinary" and "well documented," pointing to crowds, TV ratings, national attention, and merchandise interest.

"Now, that's not a knock on Angel Reese or any other player for that matter. It's simply recognizing what Clark has accomplished," she said. "But if we're going to make comparisons about who's driving ticket sales, let's compare actual ticket sales. Let's compare attendance. Let's compare consistent demand over an entire season, not just a couple of finals games."

She also argued that the Finals are a draw on their own and that there is nothing to prove that Reese is the one leading to these ticket sales.

"If Atlanta sells 17,000 tickets, that's terrific, but it doesn't mean every one of those people bought a ticket solely because of Angel Reese," Cohn said. "They also bought tickets to see the Dream as a team compete for a championship. It would be their first championship."