CHICAGO — Former LSU national champion and current Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese says she doesn't mind taking on the “bad guy role” in her rivalry with Caitlin Clark if it means it keeps women's basketball growing.

“People are talking about women's basketball that you never would think would be talking about women's basketball. People are pulling up to games, we got celebrities coming to games, sold out arenas,” Reese said in a Monday press conference.

Reese’s statements came after Saturday's contest against the Indiana Fever. During the game, Reese's teammate Chennedy Carter knocked Clark, another of the WNBA’s rising stars, down during a stoppage in play and was later charged with a flagrant foul.

The Bayou Barbie, seen clapping and hugging Carter after the foul, was fined by the WNBA for refusing to speak to the media after their loss.

During a Monday press conference, Reese didn't back away from her perceived role as the villain in her longstanding rivalry with Clark. The rivalry reached its apex during this year’s NCAA women’s basketball semifinal matchup between Clark’s University of Indiana and Reese’s LSU, a rematch of the two teams’ 2023 National Championship game where LSU was ultimately victorious.

“I've been dealing with this for two years now. Understanding that negative things have been said about me but I'll take that because, look where women's basketball is,” Reese said. “And just looking at that, I'll take that role. I'll take the bad guy role, and I'll continue to take that on and be that for my teammates.”

Reese, Clark and the rest of the WNBA’s 2024 rookie class have brought record-breaking viewership to the league.

“I'll look back in 20 years and be like yeah, the reason why we're watching women's basketball is not just because of one person. It's because of me too, and I want y'all to realize that,” Reese said.