The WNBA returned with a bang as the Indiana Fever destroyed the Chicago Sky 93-58 on Saturday.
The game would be headlined by Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese, but for those who paid attention to the 23-year-old’s pre-game quotes, her fierceness shouldn’t come as a surprise.
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While Clark downplayed the incident between her and Reese on Saturday, calling it just a basketball play, there is no doubt that a rivalry between the two exists.
And before the Fever clashed with the Sky, Clark made a telling admission about rivalries in sport.
“Rivarly is great for sport,” the WNBA star said.
“I grew up loving rivalries…I still hate our rival, like our high-school rival, I was taught growing up if we were driving by to hold my breath because I couldn’t breathe that air.”
The needle between the Sky and Fever was on display for everyone to see, as both sides will certainly see each other as rivals this season.
And their chirpy game demonstrated that, not least when chaos erupted after Clark shoved Reese when the Sky forward went for a layup.
The incident happened with 4:38 left in the third quarter, and after Reese was knocked to the floor, she went to confront Clark.
Indiana center Aliyah Boston stepped in between the two players as a viral moment was born.
Clark’s third personal foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1 while Boston and Reese each drew technical fouls following a replay review by the referees.
“Let’s not make it something that it’s not,” Clark said about the foul.
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“It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion. It’s a take foul to put them at the free-throw line.
“I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am.”
Nonetheless, it’s hard to ignore that this moment added another chapter in the rivalry between Reese and Clark.
The pair have a history that dates back to 2019 when they first met in the Amateur Athletic Union.
But things really started to heat up in 2023, when March Madness culminated in a game between Clark’s Iowa and Reese’s LSU.
Reese, who had transferred to Louisiana for her junior season, led the Tigers to their first national title by defeating the Hawkeyes 102–85.
When Reese was asked to analyse what happened, she kept it simple.
“A basketball play,” she said and refused to elaborate when probed.
Crew chief Roy Gulbeyan disagreed in his pool report after the game.
“The foul on Clark met the criteria for flagrant foul 1, for wind up, impact, and follow through for the extension of the left hand to Reese’s back, which is deemed not a legitimate basketball play, and therefore deemed unnecessary contact,” he said.
“After the foul, there is a physical taunt technical on Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset.
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New Fever coach Stephanie White remained defiant as she backed Clark for the move.
“Nobody’s going to get anything easy against us,” she said.
“We’re going to be a tough defensive team.”
Aside from the theatrics, both Reese and Clark did have impressive performances as they kicked off what will be a thrilling WNBA season.
Clark posted a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Reese scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
