A screenshot of a search result from August showed a list of videos on the WNBA’s official channel on YouTube. It featured game highlights from the WNBA on the same day. A contest highlight featuring A’ja Wilson and her Aces had 19K views. Another contest featuring Angel Reese had 23K views, and the one featuring Caitlin Clark and the Fever had 180K views. At the top of the list was a highlight video of Clark from the same game. Views? 15K. For the fan who posted the screenshot on X, Clark was unquestionably the face of the WNBA. But is she really?
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Angel Reese has popularity, has bigger team success, and even if you were not a fan of her offense, this year her shooting stats have improved as well. So, when the debate finally reached inside Speakeasy’s studio, former NFL player Emmanuel Acho had something to contribute to the debate.
“Angel Reese has gotten significantly more offensively competent, and it’s undeniable… What Angel Reese is doing now: she has competent post moves that she’s committing to memory… That to me is worthy of praise…
I’m gonna tell the world when you’re balling, and when you’re not, [there are] going to be conversations. But I don’t think a championship makes her the face,” Acho said on the Speakeasy podcast on YouTube.
Since 2024, when Reese and Clark both got drafted into the league, the face of the league’s debate has largely been dominated by Clark and A’ja Wilson. The Indiana Fever star brought views and filled seats, while the 3x champion and 5x MVP had a strong case because she was unquestionably the best player in the league. Despite having the largest social media following, Reese was barely in the conversation. Or perhaps she wasn’t in the conversation at all.
However, this season, especially since the FIBA World Cup, the calculus about Reese’s popularity has significantly changed.
The Atlanta Dream star was Team USA’s best defensive piece and had a big role to play in her national team’s gold medal win. As a member of the US team, Reese was able to secure a soft spot for a lot of fans who didn’t cheer for her before.
Then came her Defensive Player of the Year award. With an improved offense, the DPOY award, and the potential to win the Finals MVP, Reese has ceased to be just a good player with most social media following. Opposing teams have to take her offense seriously, and so did the opposing teams’ fans and game analysts sitting in the studio.
Reese’s stock has never been better, so Acho denying her bid was a surprise. However, the former athlete pressed that history bore witness that winning hasn’t given Reese an edge over Clark in popularity.
“Angel winning a chip in college didn’t propel her over Caitlin being the face [of the league]. So Angel winning a chip in the W isn’t going to propel her [being the face of the WNBA],” Acho added.
Reese won the 2023 NCAA title, defeating Clark in the championship game, and the Fever star never won one. But Clark’s popularity never took a hit. She was still fans’ darling and brought faces into the arena. Despite her social media presence, Reese didn’t match Clark’s viewership numbers, neither in Atlanta nor in Chicago.
But if attendance was the bigger criterion, why was Wilson in conversation at all? The Aces star is a superstar with the best player’s badge. Championships matter, and in basketball, Finals MVP is bigger than every individual award. Combine the Finals MVP award with Reese’s media presence, and it’s hard to deny her a serious consideration.
“I think the media rollout after Angel Reese wins a championship is going to be like no other we have ever seen for a WNBA player. If she goes out there and gets a Finals MVP,” Speakeasy’s leading host Kieran “Carebear” Hickey-Semple said.
A title win and an MVP award certainly don’t warrant Reese a place over Clark in the face of the league conversation. However, the conversation may also be shaped by how media treats the debate.
The Dream took Game 2 (79-65) with the reigning DPOY recording 30 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in 34 minutes. Atlanta will now host the Valkyries at State Farm Arena on Oct. 21.