In a match marred by tension and personal vendettas, the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky added another intense chapter to their rivalry at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.
The game took an ugly turn when Caitlin Clark was fouled in the head by Angel Reese with less than three minutes left in the third quarter. The officials reviewed the incident and penalized Reese with a Flagrant One.
JUST IN: WNBA player Angel Reese viciously elbows Caitlin Clark in the head as she goes in for a layup.
Reese could be seen completely missing the ball and making contact with Clark’s head instead.
She was called for a flagrant 1.
The move comes as more and more WNBA players… pic.twitter.com/VOmjloMTRX [1]
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 16, 2024 [2]
The feud between Clark and Reese dates back to last year’s women’s college basketball season when Reese mocked Clark at the end of the national championship game as her LSU team defeated Iowa. However, Clark and Iowa had their moment of redemption this April when they eliminated LSU from March Madness to advance to the Final Four.
The intensity of the bitter rivalry was evident earlier this month when Reese openly celebrated her Sky teammate, Chennedy Carter, after Carter committed a non-basketball foul against Clark, which was later upgraded to a flagrant foul by the WNBA league office.
Despite the Sky’s 4-8 record and the Fever’s 4-10 standing, the game had all the intensity of a playoff match, fueled in part by the animosity between Clark and Reese.
At the conclusion of the third quarter, the Fever held a narrow 68-66 lead over the Sky. Clark contributed 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Reese managed nine points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
The ongoing clash between these two teams and the personal animosity between the players promise continued drama and intensity in their future encounters.