Women’s professional basketball has been a part of the best-in-class NBA 2K sports simulation since 2019. But it hasn’t had a couple of breakout superstars, commanding national mainstream attention, to lean into until now. Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky might be the kind of stars who can draw a new audience on consoles as well as in real life.
Either way, 2K Sports is not wasting its chance. The publisher on Wednesday posted an initial look at how both will appear within The W, the suite of game modes serving the WNBA. Take a gander.
A game-changer in every way 🎮
First Look at Caitlin Clark in #NBA2K25 🫶
Stay tuned for more about The W 🔜 pic.twitter.com/puWdw7ixau
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 14, 2024
Caitlin Clark is, as is said about phenomenal new players in every sport, a generational talent. A four-year starter at Iowa, she set conference and national scoring records — including all-time points scored, women or men, en route to leading the Hawkeyes to a national final showdown against undefeated South Carolina.
Clark was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever, and in July became the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double, among many other accolades on the way to a starting role in the WNBA’s All-Star Game. She was not selected to the U.S. National Team that won gold at the Paris Olympics, however; her participation in the NCAA Tournament conflicted with attending a training camp for selection to that squad.
Chi Barbie got the Windy City buzzing 🤩
First Look at Angel Reese in #NBA2K25 🙌 pic.twitter.com/1ox1wsYnAz
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 14, 2024
Only in a draft class with Clark could Angel Reese be considered the “other” rookie star. The 6-3 power forward from LSU (transferring from Maryland) was the seventh overall pick in April’s WNBA Draft, and also made the WNBA All-Star Team her rookie season. In July she set a WNBA record with her 13th consecutive double-double (double figures in two box score categories, usually points and rebounds or assists). She also was not a member of the American’s Paris Olympic team, again owing to obligations of the NCAA Tournament at the time that was being formed.
Team WNBA, with Clark and Reese, defeated Team USA 117-109 at the WNBA All-Star Game on July 30.
NBA 2K25 launches Sept. 6 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. We’re in the middle of pre-launch hype season for the game, with a deep dive on The W — the WNBA’s mode in the game — expected sometime before the end of the week.
Developer Visual Concepts boasted of a comprehensive gameplay overhaul — down to how the ball itself is dribbled, even — that will serve all modes of play when the award-winning simulation launches.
