This argument was the beginning of an amazing TV record – NRK Sport – Sports news, scores and broadcast schedule

– It's not just that they're controversial. They are also very skilled basketball players, Stig Omland tells NRK.

He's TV 2's basketball expert and talks about young stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reyes. It is believed that the two rivals contributed to interest in women's college basketball reaching a historic level in the United States.

A week ago I collected National Collegiate Athletic Association– The final between Iowa Hawkeye and South Carolina, where the number of viewers for the match reached 18.9 million viewers, according to the analysis company Nielsen.

It's not just historic in college basketball. It is also the most watched basketball game in the United States in five years. NBA Included.

Where does this interest come from?

– It is important to note that college basketball has always been very popular in the USA. But now there are more profiles, specifically two huge profiles of Clark and Reese. Through social media and the whole new digital world, they've been able to generate huge interest and discussion before matches, Omland says.

Although only Iowa State's Clark played in the record-setting final, many believe Angel Reese also had a role in the game — literally.

The gesture went viral

The two have played against each other for several years, but it all blew up during last year's final when LSU's Reese pointed his finger in the direction of Clark, who lost the game.

Immediately afterwards, Reese waved his hand in front of his face, a gesture actor and wrestler John Cena has been known to make.

Several clips on social media also show Clark doing something similar to what Reese did in a previous fight.

Pictures of the two rivals went viral and were brought up repeatedly this season.

-I think people take it for granted that we hate each other. Caitlin Clark and I don't hate each other. “I want everyone to understand that,” Reese, 21, recently told ESPN.

– But when I go out into the field, I have no friends. Then I speak “waste” for you.

– Helps create drama

Ulrichen Eagles player Aurora Sorby will be part of the college circus next season even as she plays for Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

She believes – like Omland – that the duo of Reese and Clark is too important for interest.

-I think this argument helps create a little drama. People find it exciting. It creates interest when there is some competition on the field. People want to take that with them, she says.

Basketball expert Omland also points out other reasons why the two stars caught the attention of the entire nation.

-One profile is white from the Midwest, while the other profile is black and plays for a large university in Louisiana. He says that when basketball and the NBA took off in the 1980s, there was also a black-and-white star duo named Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

– There is something about this phenomenon. Basketball is a sport associated with black culture. He adds that when a white star arrives, it also creates broader interest in the sport.

Honoring the super duo

Omland and Sorby also point out what Rees and Clarke do on the field. Reese was named Player of the Year when she and LSU captured the title last year.

Clark is often referred to as one of the best shooters in the world and is compared to Golden State star Stephen Curry.

-They are role models for many players and have raised basketball to a new level. They represent the people on the court, but they are also skilled basketball players, Surbhay says.

The Norwegian super-talent is very much looking forward to making his debut at his alma mater in the fall. But the 18-year-old admits she is excited about how she will respond to the rising temperature among players in the USA.

– It's a completely different culture. In American basketball, there is more excitement than Clark did with Reese – and vice versa. At least that's not what Norway does, at least in terms of girls.

-How would you deal with getting “trashy talk”? Against you?

-I've trained with boys all my life, so I'm used to it. She laughs, but I'm not good at responding.

note! On Monday night, Clark was selected first in the WNBA draft and will play for the Indiana Fever.