Rivalry Sparks in Season Opener Between Clark and Reese
Expectations that the offseason might calm the intense rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were quickly dashed in their first game of the sophomore season.
On Saturday, Reese and the Chicago Sky took to Gainbridge Field House to face Clark and the Indiana Fever in what marked the opening game of the season. From the onset, the Fever basically dominated the matchup.
During the third quarter, leading by 14 points, Reese attempted to capitalize on an offensive rebound following a miscue from her teammate Rebecca Allen. Just as she prepared to shoot, Clark came in, fouling her and sending Reese to the floor.
Reese sprang back up, visibly upset, and confronted Clark directly.
Teammates and officials quickly intervened before anything could escalate. Reese was seen yelling, “You’re crazy like f*ck” at Clark.
Initially, the referee assessed Clark with a personal foul but later upgraded it to a flagrant after determining that Clark had pushed Reese to the ground. Fellow Fever teammate Aliya Boston also received a technical foul in the aftermath of the altercation.
“Don’t make it something that’s not,” Clark commented after the game. “It was just a regular basketball play. I’m not sure what the referee saw to escalate it. But, you know, that’s their call. It resulted in free throws for them. I’ve been around basketball long enough to know how it goes.”
Clark continued, mentioning that Aliyah Boston “has my back.”
When asked about the incident after the game, Reese simply referred to it as “basketball play.”
The Fever ultimately triumphed over the Sky, with a score of 93-58.
