Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Angel Reese hit Caitlin Clark on the head while trying to block her layup attempt during the Indiana Fever’s 91-83 win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday, earning a flagrant 1 in the process.
That provided a certain group of people on social media—the sort who are just waiting for something to get angry about, especially when it comes to Clark—the fodder they required, though the rookie point guard didn’t think it was anything more than a basketball play gone slightly awry.
“It’s just a part of basketball,” she told reporters. “It is what it is. Just trying to make a play on the ball and get the block. It happens.”
Reese offered a similar take on the situation.
“It was a basketball play. I can’t control the refs. They affected the game obviously a lot today,” she told reporters. “I’m always going for the ball. Y’all are going to play that clip 20 times before Monday.”
Upgrading the call to a flagrant 1 was clearly the right call. Reese may have been making a natural basketball play, but she made clear contact with Clark’s head in the process. That’s about as deep as the situation needed to go.
But the ridiculous takes followed nonetheless.
As for the basketball itself, Clark was fantastic in the game, scoring 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field (3-of-7 from three) to go along with nine assists and eight rebounds. Turnovers remain an issue, as she gave the ball away five times, but she was the best player on the court Sunday.
Reese finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block, making her usual two-way impact, though she struggled from the field (4-of-13).
The rivalry between Clark and Reese continues to be zesty, dating back to their college days, but the Fever point guard embraces it.
“That’s what makes it fun,” Clark said of the passion the two rookies share. “We’re competitors. That’s the way the game should be. It’s going to get a little feisty, it’s going to get physical, but at the end of the day both teams are just trying to win.”
Did you hear that, hot-take provocateurs of the world? It’s just a part of the game. You can all stand down now.
News
BREAKING: Kate Martin sparked controversy on social media when she demanded that the WNBA organizing committee review the VAR and ban Angel Reese from playing for her unsportsmanlike act of punching Caitlin Clark in the head. “We must eliminate the dirty elements to make the game cleaner.”
Kate Martin has sparked a social media uproar by publicly calling on the WNBA organizing committee to review the incident using VAR and to ban Angel Reese from playing. This demand stems from Reese’s unsportsmanlike conduct, where she was seen…
Brittney Griner asked Angel Reese instead of Caitlin Clark to compete in the 3×3 Olympics after Cameron Brink suffered an injury. I think “Angel Reese is better than Caitlin Clark”, causing fans to argue fiercely on social media.
In a surprising turn of events, WNBA star Brittney Griner has chosen Angel Reese to compete in the 3×3 Olympics, following an injury to Cameron Brink. Griner’s decision, and her accompanying statement that “Angel Reese is better than Caitlin Clark,”…
Caitlin Clark’s GPA Has Been Revealed In The Wake Of Her WNBA Debut, And It Will Shock You
Caitlin Clark (Photo via @caitlinclark22/Instagram) Caitlin Clark was bossing college both on the court and in the classroom. The new Indiana Fever guard left the NCAA as its highest-ever scorer and has already put on a show in the WNBA, having made her professional…
David Portnoy Slams Team USA for Excluding Caitlin Clark from Olympic Roster, Citing Missed Opportunity for Women’s Basketball
You can love Caitlin Clark. You can hate Caitlin Clark. You can love her Iowa roots. You can hate her Iowa roots. You can like her because she’s white or dislike her because she’s white. The same goes for being…
Indiana Fever Rookie Caitlin Clark Causes A Massive Stir With Her Unusual Social Media Activity
Caitlin Clark (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)© Provided by Total Pro Sports Caitlin Clark made a curious move on social media this week, liking a certain post. The Indiana Fever point guard has made it a point to let folks know…
OUT OF BOUNDS: David Portnoy – El Presidente harshly criticizes Team USA for leaving WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark off its Olympic roster. The Barstool Sports founder argues that the league missed a golden opportunity to grow women’s basketball.
Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy, better known online as “El Presidente,” is throwing shade at the selection committee behind the USA Women’s Olympic Basketball team. The controversy? The omission of WNBA rookie phenom Caitlin Clark from the roster. Clark, a…
End of content
No more pages to load