First, the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese pairing divides American loyalties

In what may be an unprecedented move in Olympic history, most American fans will not be rooting for the U.S. women’s basketball team in their upcoming exhibition game on home soil. The arena in Phoenix on July 20 will undoubtedly be awash in red, white and blue. Still, many attendees at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game are expected to favor Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s all-stars over the U.S. team headed to the Summer Games in Paris.

The U.S. Olympic team typically features the best players in the country. But the WNBA All-Star team is more intriguing with Ms. Clark and Ms. Reese playing on the same team.

Some might call it a rivalry, the evolution of a seed planted when the two first met on the national stage in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final, where Ms. Reese and Louisiana State defeated Ms. Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. It repeated again in the 2024 national semifinals, where Iowa defeated LSU before losing the championship game to South Carolina.

Yet their first half of the WNBA season has developed into more of a partnership that has focused attention on their teams, their league and themselves. Ms. Clark, the first overall pick of the Indiana Fever, and Ms. Reese, the 7^e The Chicago Sky’s overall pick, they’ll go into the All-Star Game having lived up to the hype and set WNBA records, which is why the crowd will be cheering for them in Phoenix instead of Team USA.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, not even in USA Basketball,” Ms. Clark said of working with Ms. Reese. “I know people are going to be really excited about it.”

They’ve earned the attention. Ms. Clark became the first rookie in league history to record a triple-double in an 83-78 upset of league-leading New York Liberty last weekend, while Ms. Reese set a new record for consecutive double-double games with her 13^e in an 84-71 loss to the Seattle Storm.

Averaging 14.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, Ms. Reese is quickly establishing herself as one of the league’s best post players. The Sky, after an early slump of six losses in seven games, have shown improvement with four wins in their last seven outings before a game on Wednesday against the Atlanta Dream.

“Coming into this league, so many people doubted me and didn’t think my game would work and that I wouldn’t be the player I was in college, or better or worse, or where I am today,” Ms. Reese recently told reporters. “But I trusted the process and I believed in it and I’m grateful that I was able to come to Chicago. I can’t thank my teammates and my coaches enough for believing in me and trusting me.”

Ms. Clark has dealt with the constant criticism she’s received by remaining focused on improving her game and her team. She’s averaging 16.1 points, 6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game for the Fever, who started the season 1-8 but have won six of their last nine games. She’s endured a series of turnovers, hard fouls and verbal jabs from critics without showing frustration or verbal retaliation.

“We’re definitely playing good basketball,” Ms. Clark said ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Washington Mystics. “We’re definitely finding confidence in what we can do on the court. We’re playing better together.”

There is a growing debate over which player will be named Rookie of the Year, a conversation that only benefits the WNBA and their respective teams.

Some have compared their “rivalry” to when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson entered the NBA in the 1980s. It’s a fair comparison. The two men first met in the 1979 NCAA Championship, when Mr. Johnson’s Michigan State team defeated Mr. Bird and Indiana State. They faced off again in the 1984 NBA Finals, where Mr. Bird helped the Boston Celtics defeat Mr. Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. The NBA’s popularity skyrocketed from that point on.

Ms. Clark and Ms. Reese are on a similar path in an era where social media is driving even more attention. From sold-out venues to record television viewership, the WNBA is enjoying unprecedented growth.

With Ms. Clark and Ms. Reese on the same team for the first time, the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game is set to be a must-see event with Team USA playing the spoilsport.