Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark says she supports the WNBA’s investigation into allegations of racial abuse by fans directed at Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese during Saturday’s game between the two teams.
The WNBA said after the alleged incident that it “strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms,” while the Fever said they are helping the league with the investigation.
“There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society,” Clark, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, told reporters after practice on Monday.
“Certainly, we want every person who comes into our arena, whether player or fan, to have a great experience.
“I appreciate the league doing that (the investigation). I appreciate that the Fever organization has been at the forefront of that since day one. The investigation we’ll leave up to them to find anything and take the proper action if so.”
With 4:38 remaining in the third quarter and the Fever up 56-42 in Saturday’s game, Clark made hard contact with Reese’s right arm as the Sky forward drove to the basket, knocking the Sky star to the ground.
Reese, clearly upset, got straight back up to her feet and tried to confront Clark, who walked away with her back to Reese as Indiana’s Aliyah Boston stepped between the two.
Clark’s foul was upgraded from a personal to a flagrant 1, while Reese and Boston each received technical fouls.
Both players downplayed the incident afterwards and it is unclear whether the alleged racial slurs were related to the confrontation.
Though Reese and Clark have both played down their rivalry, the two players have been closely linked after heated clashes in college, most notably in the 2023 NCAA women’s championship game.
The Fever won Saturday’s season opener 93-58 with Clark posting a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds.
The two teams will play each other three more times during the regular season.
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