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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Angel Reese has only been in the WNBA since last season, after becoming the No. 7 pick for the Chicago Sky. Her entry into the league quickly became connected to college basketball superstar Caitlin Clark.
They've each made their own paths, achieving success in different stats categories. Both landed on the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2024 and the All-Star team in their first two seasons.
With that, there have been many fans comparing the achievements and stats of the two young stars, despite them being very different players.
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Recently, a list arrived that could put a lot of the arguments to rest about Reese versus Clark in terms of their talents.
However, it could also start some new debates based on where Reese is ranked compared to several other young WNBA stars.
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The list features the best players under 25, and unsurprisingly, the Indiana Fever's Clark, 23, ranks above everyone else in the discussion.
Rookie Paige Bueckers, 23, received the second spot, as she's already making history in her rookie season with the Dallas Wings.
She's followed by Clark's Indiana Fever teammate, Aaliyah Boston, also 23, who is a constant threat for double-doubles.
Some would contend that the 23-year-old Reese is similar when it comes to rebounding and scoring. She appears at the No. 5 spot on the recently published ESPN list.
What could surprise fans is that Seattle Storm rookie Dominique Malonga appears one spot above Reese on the list.
According to ESPN's Kevin Pelton, Malonga is still developing as a player, but averaged 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this month with the Storm.
Pelton mentions this would be Malonga's second season of college basketball in the United States. The 19-year-old forward-center from France had limited experience before becoming the No. 2 pick in the WNBA Draft.
ESPN's Kendra Andrews indicated that Reese broke rebounding records as a rookie, but that many questioned if she could improve her game.
Andrews says Reese improved her playmaking, with her assists increasing to 3.7 per game this season, putting her amongst the top five forwards in the league.
A knock on the former LSU star is that she has trouble with shooting in WNBA games, and that leads to getting multiple rebounds for her missed shots.
Reese has a 41.9 career field-goal percentage, while Clark's is at 40.5 percent. Bueckers, Malonga, and Boston all have higher shooting percentages among ESPN's top five players on their list.
Stats aside, Reese's recent spot on ESPN's list might further fuel fan debates about her talents in the league compared to other players.
It's unlikely that this ranking will bother her, though. Reese, who appears on a special cover of the NBA 2K26 video game, recently shrugged off a question asking what she thought of her player rating.
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