At the WNBA’s 30th season, fans watched closely as their favorite sports stars faced off on the court. But that wasn’t the only battle happening. Sneakerheads were watching closely, checking out all the new sneakers. And Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese turned the opening weekend into the ultimate sneaker showdown.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points, 250 rebounds and 250 assists, stepped out wearing a silver-and-red pair of Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Rookie of the Year” player exclusives. In the Kobes, she dropped 20 points during the game against Dallas, with the sneakers making every photograph stand out.
The design of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Rookie of the Year” is actually inspired by the Indiana Fever. The shoe pulls colors from the team’s alternate uniforms and, yes, what Clark wore when she accepted her Rookie of the Year award. While red dominates the outsole, tongue and collar, metallic silver covers most of the upper and midsole.
Clark’s connection to the Kobe line isn’t random at all, of course. She has been wearing Kobe 5s and 6s in games since her college days. In fact, when her signature shoe finally arrives near the end of 2026, don’t be surprised if it is inspired by those designs.
Just a few hours later, it was Reese’s turn in Minneapolis. She came to play wearing the very bright red Reebok Angel Reese 1 (which many are confusing with the Reebok Engine A “Energy Red”). During the game, she helped Atlanta claw back from a 19-point deficit and seal a 91-90 win. But she also achieved something extra special while wearing those shoes: Reese became the fastest player ever to reach 50 career double-doubles after putting up 11 points and 14 rebounds.
“It was rough for me tonight, but this is what you call a team,” Reese said after the game. “Being able to have players that have your back and always pick you up, even when you’re not having the best game.”
In March, Reese posted previews of two “USA” colorways of her signature shoe. One is a monochromatic red that mirrors Team USA’s road uniforms. The other goes red and white, matching the home kit. This is the sneaker she wore during the WNBA Opening Weekend. Both of the sneakers look really clean, and no, neither one of them has a release date yet.
Of course, there were plenty of other amazing sneakers on the court that night. Just look at Azzi Fudd’s Nike Jordan Luka 4 “Flash Crimson”, Breanna Stewart’s Puma Stewie 5 Turbo, and Kiki Iriafen’s Skechers Basketball SKX Nexus. But none of those stood out as much as Caitlin Clark’s Nike and Angel Reese’s Reebok sneakers. And the sneaker wars between the two athletes are just heating up.
So, who won this WNBA sneaker war? We’ve got to go with the red Reebok Angel Reese 1 Team USA.
