During media availability on Monday, the Chicago Sky rookie forward was asked about the uptick in attention paid to women’s basketball. Reese made clear that she feels she is partly responsible for it.

“I think so many people are watching women’s basketball right now,” Reese told reporters. “It all started from the [2023] national championship game and I’ve been dealing with this for two years now. Yeah, negative things have probably been said about me, but honestly, I’ll take that, because look where women’s basketball is. People are talking about women’s basketball that you would never think would be talking about women’s basketball.”

Reese went on to say she’s willing to keep playing the “bad guy” role for her teammates because she’s secure with her place in expanding the influence of women’s hoops, which is growing “not just because of one person.”

“I know I’ll go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and they’ll 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. I want y’all to realize that,” Reese said.

The “one person” Reese is referring to is undoubtedly fellow rookie Caitlin Clark. The two met head-to-head in that aforementioned 2023 national title game, with Reese and LSU getting the better of Clark and Iowa.

Reese’s “can’t see me” taunt of the Hawkeye sharpshooter sparked plenty of controversy but also undoubtedly increased her fan following and personal brand as well.

She and Clark reunited in Indianapolis last Saturday, with the Fever squeaking out a one-point win over the Sky in a game dominated by the story line of Chicago guard Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul on Clark.

The two Midwestern franchises will meet again on June 16.