May 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) warms up before the game / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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Whether they wanted it or not, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were pitted against each other in women’s college basketball conversations at every turn. Their rivalry drew eyeballs and headlines.

The rivals in college at Iowa and LSU are now Eastern Conference rivals in the WNBA after Clark went No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever and Reese followed at No. 7 to the Chicago Sky. But they are connected by one big similarity: Reality.

Clark got her first dose of the reality of playing against hardened pros, as promised by Diana Taurasi, on Tuesday when she committed 10 turnovers in her Fever debut. On Wednesday, Reese’s debut for the Sky got off to a similarly rough start.

Angel Reese made sure Caitlin Clark wasn’t alone in rough WNBA debut

Reese not only missed her first three field goal attempts, missed five of her first six free throw attempts. She committed a turnover and two personal fouls in the opening quarter against the Dallas Wings and finished the half with just one point to her name.

It certainly wasn’t the debut she would have been dreaming of.

As with Clark, it’s not fair to write off Reese for one bad half of basketball. The transition from playing in college to the pros is no joke in every sport. The WNBA is no exception.

This is a good reminder that the WNBA may be reaching peak popularity, but the level of talent in the league has been plenty high for a long time. Those women are no joke. Reese and Clark were the best of the best in college. Now they are the new kids on the block. They’re going to have to get used to how fast and physical the game can be before they can truly thrive.