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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark began her 2025 WNBA season with a triple-double in her team’s 93-58 rout of the Chicago Sky Saturday.
During the game, Clark was called for a flagrant foul after a hard foul on her rival, Angel Reese.
While it appeared tense on the court, Clark and Reese said the foul wasn’t as bad as it seemed after the game.
“Let’s not make it something that it’s not,” Clark said after dropping 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. “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.”
During the play, Reese got an offensive rebound, and Clark appeared to motion toward the referee that the Sky center pushed off a fellow Fever player. Clark then fouled Reese intentionally, hugging her to prevent an easy layup.
The ESPN broadcast debated whether Clark pushed Reese slightly with her left arm after committing the foul, which might have led to Reese’s angry reaction.
Without elaborating, Reese called it a “basketball play” from Clark, a term both players have used in the past.
Reese struggled shooting in her season debut, scoring 12 points on 5 of 14 from the field, while grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds.
It was a brief moment, but considering the history between Clark and Reese, it’s another chapter in a rivalry that goes back to their college days. The Fever and Sky are now rivals because of the history between Clark and Reese.
Last season, the Fever took three of their four matchups, which included several hard fouls that led to national debate.
Stephanie White, who got her first win as head coach of the Fever, also commented on Clark’s foul.
“Nobody’s going to get anything easy against us,” White said. “We’re going to be a tough defensive team. I thought it was a clear play on the ball as well.”
“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,” crew chief Roy Gulbeyan said of Clark.
“After the foul, there is a physical taunt technical on Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset.”
The sold-out crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse cheered as Reese missed the first of her two free throws before Chicago retained the ball after the technical foul.
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