Angel Reese Seeks Help To Beat Caitlin Clark

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📜 QUOTE OF THE DAY

“You have to be faster, stronger, smarter. If you want to play with the best, you have to be at your best. That takes the ultimate discipline.”

- Dawn Staley

👋 Hey Hoopheads!

We here at EssentiallySports are thrilled to bring you the latest news transpiring on and off the hardwood! You can see this all-new 'She Got Game' Newsletter, and all the exciting stories it entails, as your reward for being a WNBA super fan. This weekly exclusive will take you into the depths of every top headline encompassing your favorite women's basketball stars.

From eye-catching rookies to celebrated veterans, you’ll be briefed about any and every major chronicle tickling your basketball senses. So, sit back and enjoy the latest developments from all around the women’s basketball world.

Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky in Need of a New Star?

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark’s rivalry has dominated the WNBA headlines this year. While their teams are nowhere near championship contention, it seems like the Chi-Town Barbie has taken matters into her own hands to get one over her rival by recruiting French Olympics star, Gabby Williams.

The basketball world bowed down to the valiant efforts of Williams, including Angel Reese, following the Gold Medal game on August 11. In fact, the 6-ft-3 forward didn’t shy away from extending a pretty interesting offer on X, “ok now that the game is over, would you like to be a part of the Chicago sky again???”

Well, things are not as simple as they look. Especially, given the uncomfortable history Williams shares with the franchise. In 2021, she was on the ‘full-season suspended list’ as her commitment to the Les Bleues held more weight than featuring in a pre-season training camp.

Perhaps this is the reason why the 27-year-old didn’t hesitate in reverting to Reese, “orrrrrr we could just play together for a different organization.” Nonetheless, Reese later clarified that her offer was “just a joke” and that any WNBA team that gets her would be “lucky for sure”.

While the Chicago Sky currently occupies the 8th spot with a 10-15 record, her rival Caitlin Clark’s Fever is just one place above, with an 11-15 record. Perhaps Williams’ arrival in The Windy City might help turn the tides in the LSU alumna’s favor.

Dive Deeper: Angel Reese Breaks Silence on Tampering Gabby Williams to Chicago Sky; Shares Little-Known Secret About French Star’s UConn Past

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

A Missed Opportunity for Team USA at the Paris Olympics

Is an eighth consecutive Olympic Gold medal not enough? Apparently not for some, including Stephen A. Smith, as it was an “opportunity missed”. Despite Team USA’s Olympic roster consisting of some of the best players on the planet, one snub created havoc on social media. That of Caitlin Clark.

“When you talk about marketing the sport, I think Team USA missed an opportunity to elevate the profile of women’s excellence in the sport of basketball because they ignored marketing,” Smith mentioned on his podcast after congratulating Team USA. Well, the numbers don’t lie. 

The Indiana Fever has seen a 264.6% surge in home attendance, 800+ million views on team-produced videos, and a 1,193% increase in uniform sales this season. Clark already has 10 broadcast viewership records. This includes the Fever’s second encounter vs Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky, garnering a whopping 2.3 million overall audience, the most viewed WNBA game in 23 years. 

Furthermore, corporate partnerships also witnessed an increase of 225%, which eventually paved the way for the largest number of Team Sponsors in the WNBA. These are some of the results of ‘The Caitlin Clark Effect’. And that’s exactly what Stephen A. is trying to convey.

“Box office matters… we want to act like it doesn’t matter, but it does,” Smith expressed while concluding his narrative. With the next edition of the Olympics in LA, surely Team USA would like to make the most of every opportunity. Hopefully, Caitlin Clark will have a lot more on her plate till then.

Dive Deeper: “They Ignored Marketing”: Stephen A. Smith Blasts Team USA Over Caitlin Clark Snub but Applauds LeBron James’ Genius Move in Paris

New Face of Women’s College Basketball?

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s departure from college basketball has left a giant hole for the NCAA to fill. Who will lead the charge for women’s college basketball now? Many signs point towards UConn Huskies star, Paige Bueckers. With an NIL valuation of $1.4 million (the highest among women basketball players), the 22-year-old has now become the first collegiate basketball player to have her own Nike PEs.

After creating her colorway designs, Bueckers and Nike aim to drop the custom G.T. Hustle 3 somewhere around the second week of September. These $190 sneakers will be a part of her last dance with the Huskies. The design is inspired by her hometown Edina, Minnesota, and UConn, and will feature both area codes. 

Paige Buckets was earmarked for unparalleled success before her unfortunate ACL tear in 2022. While Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese took over following that, Bueckers wasn’t to be left behind for too long. She inked an NIL deal with Nike in September 2023, before leading UConn to the Final Four, where they lost to Clark’s Iowa.

“Joining the Nike family is a childhood dream come true. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together on and off the court,” the 2021 Naismith College Player of the Year had previously stated. As a little kid who wanted everything but didn’t have the means, the occasion does hold immense significance for Bueckers.

Dive Deeper: Money Rains for Paige Bueckers as Nike and Unrivaled Updates Bolster $385K Financial Growth for UConn Starlet

Gabby Williams: From Track Star To Court

Who could have guessed that an athlete from Reno, Nevada, would be the inspiration to a young girl who’ll headline the Olympics for France? That too against perhaps the greatest basketball dynasty of all time? Gabby Williams, daughter of the former University of Nevada athlete Matt Williams, came close to scripting history in Paris. So how did this Nevada-born track & field athlete end up representing Les Bleues?

100-meter hurdles/ 14.11 seconds, 300 hurdles/ 42.85 seconds, and 6 feet and 2¼ inches high jump in the US Olympic trials show the potential Williams had in high school. That’s not what fate had in store for her, though. 

Missing out on a 6’3½” jump by a whisker at the 2012 US Olympic trials reignited her basketball instincts. Going back to where it all began made sense for her after that. Helping the UConn Huskies win two National Championships led to the Chicago Sky selecting her as the 4th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft. Unfortunately, her WNBA career never took off, which led her to her maternal roots in France. 

With the LDLC ASVEL, she won the EuroCup and the French Championship. The 27-year-old helped the French National Basketball Team finish runners-up at the 2021 EuroBasket, followed by a Bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Three years later, she almost ended Team USA’s historic 60-game winning streak in Paris. Going by her career trajectory, maybe Gabby Williams will get a chance to go one step further in LA in 2028.

Dive Deeper: The Story of Gabby Williams: Why Did the France Star Switch From High Jump to Basketball?

📝 STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!

1. “Kind of Unfair”: Dawn Staley Sympathizes With Current South Carolina Squad as the Coach Has A’ja Wilson and Co. to Blame For It - Full Story

2. Sue Bird Discloses 2 Bad Things About France After Spending Weeks With Partner Megan Rapinoe at Paris Olympics - Full Story

3. Caitlin Clark Had One Privilege as WNBA Rookie That A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, and Many Others Didn’t Get - Full Story

4. Angel Reese’s WNBA Return Goes Awry as ROTY Contender Has a Night to Forget vs Mercury - Full Story

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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