Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark: How Dream star reached first championship appearance before Fever sensation

At this point, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will forever be connected and compared to one another.

As college rivals, members of the same draft class and now as WNBA stars, Reese and Clark have been two of the faces of basketball over the last few years — sometimes, of course, for reasons far beyond their play on the court. But their intertwined careers, like many basketball player rivalries across history, mean their legacies and accolades are always being compared to one another.

While they're very different players stylistically, Reese didn't just beat Clark in the 2023 national title game to beat her counterpart to a college championship. Now, the Dream center has reached the WNBA Finals before Clark has, with a chance to add her first ring in the pros.

Here's a look at how Reese reached the WNBA Finals before Clark in their respective careers.

How Angel Reese got to WNBA championship before Caitlin Clark

Reese and Clark were members of the same draft class after decorated college careers. While Reese had something Clark did not in her college career — a national title — it was the Iowa guard who went No. 1 overall to the Fever after a Hawkeyes career loaded with individual awards and accolades.

Reese, meanwhile, landed with the Sky at No. 7 overall, where she became a focal piece in Chicago's frontcourt. Both players became massive instant upgrades for their franchise, but only one would last more than a few seasons with their first team.

After winning just 13 games the season prior, the addition of Clark helped Indiana become far more competitive, going an even 20-20 in her rookie season in 2024. Under coach Christie Sides, the Fever even snuck into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, with Clark remaining a star right off the bat in the WNBA. She set the WNBA single-game record for assists (19), was named an All-Star, became the first rookie to record a triple-double, set the league rookie season assists and 3-pointers records, and was then named the Rookie of the Year.

Ultimately, Indiana's first playoff berth since 2016 was short-lived, swept by the Sun in the first round.

Reese's first year in Chicago, meanwhile, wasn't very successful from a team aspect. The Sky went just 13-27, the third-worst record in the WNBA, though Reese was one of their few bright spots. The young center was named an All-Star, had a three-game streak of 20-rebound performances, broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record and set a new league record with 13.1 rebounds per game.

Despite being two emerging young stars in the WNBA, neither Clark nor Reese wound up having the sophomore season they likely hoped for.

For Clark, it was injury issues that derailed her second season. She played in just 13 games due to quad, ankle and groin injuries, ruled out for the season by early September despite playing well when on the court, averaging 8.8 assists per game.

Even without Clark for a majority of the season, though, Indiana still had a successful season, making the playoffs as a No. 6 seed again and improving its win total to 24. Behind Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, the Fever made a run to the semifinals in the playoffs, where they fell to the eventual champion Aces in overtime of a decisive Game 5. Clark wasn't playing, but her squad was on the verge of the WNBA Finals.

For Reese, the 2025 season was similar to 2024: individual success, but little wins to show for it. She recorded her first triple-double, was selected to the All-Star Game and led the WNBA in rebounding once again, but not only did the Sky go just 10-34 — Reese also dealt with off-the-court issues. Late in the season, she openly voiced frustrations about the team's performance, and the Sky suspended her for a half-game for making "statements detrimental to the team." Additionally, she had eight technical fouls, receiving another one-game suspension.

Compared to their sophomore WNBA campaigns, both Clark and Reese can argue that they enjoyed better third years — but for Reese, things have gone especially well since an exit from Chicago.

In April, Reese was traded by the Sky to the Dream in exchange for two first-round picks, giving her a much better opportunity to contend for a title after some tension in Chicago. In Atlanta, she remained the same double-double threat, named an All-Star this season for the third-straight year and becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to record 1,000 career rebounds. Reese set WNBA records for single-game rebounds (26) and single-season rebounds, going on to be named Defensive Player of the Year.

Clark, meanwhile, stayed healthy in 2026, enjoying 40 games on the court while averaging a career-high in points per game (22.3). Her return to the court helped Indiana improve its win total for the third-straight year, winning 28 games to claim the 6th seed once again. Clark was named an All-Star and set a new career-high with 45 points in a game, but ultimately, the Fever were eliminated by defending champion Aces in the first round.

Reese, meanwhile, has helped lead Atlanta past the Mystics and Liberty to reach her first WNBA Finals. If the Dream come out on top, it will mean that Reese has won a championship in high school, college, Unrivaled and the WNBA.

Reese and Clark were both drafted in 2024.

Here's a look at how the top 10 picks in that class went:

3x All-Star, 1x All-WNBA First-Team, 2024 Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team, 2024 assists leader

3x All-Star, 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, 2026 All-Defensive First-Team, All-Rookie Team, 3x rebounding leader