The highly anticipated rematch between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon saw Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese facing off in a new chapter in their WNBA journeys.
Then, in the third quarter of the Fever’s 91-83 win, things got a little tense when Reese hit Clark in the head while attempting a block, resulting in a flagrant foul.
After the game, Reese was asked by a reporter about the flagrant foul, but the reporter quickly cut him off.
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Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese (left) reacts after being fouled by Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark (right) during the second half of a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Emily Chin/Getty Images)
“It was a basketball play. It was a basketball play,” Reese said. “You can’t control the officiating. Obviously the officiating played a big part in the game tonight.”
Reese asserted that the officials were not calling the game the same on both ends of the court. The Sky were called for 21 personal fouls as a team, while the Fever were called for 17. Reese and fellow rookie Camila Cardozo were called for five fouls each.
“I think we came out really strong a lot of times, but we didn’t get a lot of calls,” Reese explained when asked about her and Cardozo’s performance. “Looking back at the film, there were a lot of things that didn’t get called. I think some of us got special whistles. But we were able to play our hardest.”
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It is unclear who Rees was referring to when he spoke about the “special whistle.”
As for Clark’s thoughts on the flagrant foul, she had nothing bad to say about Rees. She agreed that the physical assault was not malicious.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark (left) drives to the basket against Chicago Sky’s Marina Mabry (right) during the first half of a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Emily Chin/Getty Images)
“All I could think about was, ‘I’ve got to make these two free throws,'” Clark said. the reporter asked Her thoughts immediately after the foul: “That’s all I’m thinking about. It’s just part of basketball. That’s the reality. You just try to play the ball and get blocks. It happens.”
Clark went on to praise Reese’s competitive spirit and said she used her platform to promote the game.
“I think it’s about the emotion and the passion that we play with,” Clark said. “I think people love to see that and I think that maybe it hasn’t always been appreciated in women’s sports, but it should be. It’s fun. We’re competitors, that’s how the game should be. It gets intense, it gets physical, but at the end of the day, we’re both here to win.”
“I think what she’s been able to accomplish with her platform is really amazing. She has fans who support her at Maryland and Louisiana State. Obviously, I played with her for a long time and she was a great player. So, [her]and I think that’s really good for the game, and people love to see great matchups.
“But at the same time, people tune in to watch these matchups, but then they see how good these teams are and they find new players to root for. And then they come back for them. So I think that’s another benefit, honestly.”
Angel Reese thwarted a blocking attempt on Caitlin Clark, resulting in a flagrant foul. (Getty Images)
Fever coach Christy Sides also believes the officials “made the right call” on Rees’ flagrant foul. She also noted that a flagrant foul was not called recently, as happened when Chennedy Carter shoved Clark. That foul was later upgraded to a flagrant foul, but was a common foul in the previous matchup.
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“I’m really proud of how everyone stayed calm,” Sides said. “The right call was made in that moment – flagrant one, two free throws and the ball. If we make the right call in that moment, we’re going to move forward. If we don’t make the right call in that moment, we’re in trouble.”
“They made the right decision tonight.”
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