Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are back in the spotlight during All-Star Weekend with their match against the US Olympic team.

They will team up for the first time in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC after being rivals in college. Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa team for the 2023 national championship. The Hawkeyes defeated the Tigers in last year’s Elite Eight.

“Everybody gets to wear their ‘Get Along’ shirts together for at least one day,” Reese said, jokingly. “So I know a lot of people are going to come out, to see all of us. But there’s a lot of talent on both teams, so it’s going to be a good game.”

While there has been so much hype about the duo entering the WNBA, the duo has shown that they can compete with the best players in the league, which has helped to show that this is not just a moment for the WNBA, but a larger movement for the sport.

“I definitely think it’s a lot more than women’s basketball. I think you look at all of the women’s sports and people are really invested in it and committed to it,” Clark said. “Obviously women’s basketball has been a little bit of a leader. And for good reason, as it should be everywhere, whether it’s college women’s basketball or the WNBA. The talent level is really good.”

Although Clark and Reese were both physically challenged on the field during their debut seasons and there was a lot of noise off the field, they have blossomed.

“I told Angel at the draft that I didn’t want to put too much pressure on her, but this league is dependent on you playing, you know, right. And she understood, she understood that nothing was going to be handed to her,” WNBA union president and Seattle Storm center Nneka Ogwumike said. “I think that’s why she’s doing so well. I think there was a lot of competition and I think there was a lot of debris in Caitlin’s path, and they handled it well.”

The duo helped the league record ratings and attendance in the early part of the season, building on what they accomplished in college. Clark finished as the NCAA’s Division I all-time scoring leader, and Clark won an NCAA championship at LSU.

The two’s success so far in their debut seasons may have helped increase the WNBA’s valuation for the new media rights deal, which is reportedly worth $2.2 billion over 11 years.

“They’re doing the best they can and it’s always good when they can deliver,” Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson said. “Actually being good at what they do is important because it wouldn’t be good if they weren’t and nobody wants to watch you play.”

Reese currently ranks second in the league in rebounding (11.9) and Clark leads the league in assists (8.2), according to the WNBA. She just broke the league’s single-game assist record with 19 against Dallas in Indiana’s final game before the Olympic break. Reese already broke the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles in a season with 15.

Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggin-Smith were among the college players who received a lot of hype heading into the 2013 WNBA draft. The trio have gone on to have stellar WNBA careers, but haven’t made the same impact as Clark, Reese and the rest of this rookie class thus far.

“We saw what they could do and why wouldn’t it translate?” Griner said. “They’ve worked hard and they’re doing everything. They’re not just running on media, they’re really playing hard. I’m just glad there’s validation for all those people who were doubtful.”