Angel Reese has put her rivalry with Caitlin Clark aside as 'Bayou Barbie' gushed over 'all the girls' she got to know at the 2024 WNBA Draft, and jokes that she needs a new nickname after being picked by the Chicago Sky.
The 21-year-old Reese, who was selected as the seventh overall pick by Chicago in Brooklyn, last week, is now teammates with Kamilla Cardoso - another top WNBA prospect who just won the NCAA women's tournament with the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Cardoso, the No. 3 overall pick, also emerged victorious from March Madness with South Carolina in 2022.
'the best part of the weekend in NYC was getting to know all the girls after being sooo competitive for the last 4 years!!' Reese shared on X on Wednesday, two days after the WNBA Draft took place on April 15.
The former LSU forward added: 'everybody was such a vibe & we all had so much FUN which shows how competitive we all are ON THE COURT!! NOTHING IS PERSONAL!!!'
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark emerged as first-round overall pick at the WNBA Draft in NYC
The 21-year-old former LSU star was selected as the No. 7 overall pick by the Chicago Sky
the best part of the weekend in NYC was getting to know all the girls after being sooo competitive for the last 4 years!! everybody was such a vibe & we all had so much FUN which shows how competitive we all are ON THE COURT!! NOTHING IS PERSONAL!!! 💖
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 18, 2024
Reese, Clark, Cardoso and other talents who were part of a deep WNBA Draft class this year will hope the momentum they created lifting women's college basketball to new heights carries over to the pros.
'We're not just basketball players, we're super impactful to the community, the people around us, the little kids that look up to us, and being able to also be nationwide, everybody knows us everywhere we go,' Reese said on Draft Night.
'Our lives aren't normal. We might get a little bit of normalcy going into the league now, but I'm just excited to be a trailblazer. I'm excited to be a part of history, and just continue to see the future, and I know it's bright.'
They'll need to perform on the court for that momentum to continue at the next level and boost the league, which is coming off its own strong year. The WNBA just had its most-watched season in 21 years, averaging 462,000 viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and CBS.
i need a new name now that i’m in chicago lol something cute that is catchy like Bayou Barbie 😭👀
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 17, 2024
The league also had its most-watched Finals in 20 years, which featured Las Vegas and New York and was won by the Aces. Viewership was up 36 percent from the previous season. The league's attendance rose 16 percent - its highest figure since 2018. Throw Clark into the mix and that number could grow exponentially.
But, in the meantime, Reese will take up any nickname suggestions as she looks forward to her new life in Chicago, which won the WNBA championship in 2021. The Sky went 18-22 last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
'i need a new name now that i'm in chicago lol,' Reese shared on X on Wednesday. 'something cute that is catchy like Bayou Barbie.'
Reese is expected to make her WNBA debut when the Sky take on the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on May 15.
