The much-anticipated rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continues to electrify the WNBA, drawing record-breaking attention to women’s basketball and intensifying interest in every matchup between the two rookie stars.
On Saturday, during the Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky game, tensions boiled over when Clark committed a flagrant foul on Reese, setting off a social media storm and igniting nationwide debate. The incident came in the midst of the Fever’s commanding 93-58 blowout victory, but the real headline was the brewing fire between two of the league’s biggest names.
Despite the flashpoint moment, both players kept the drama in check postgame. Speaking with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Caitlin Clark clarified that there was “nothing malicious” behind the play. Angel Reese echoed the sentiment, brushing off the collision as simply “a basketball play.”
“The refs got it right. Move on,” Reese said confidently to reporters, dismissing any attempt to stir controversy around the foul.
Dawn Staley, three-time national championship-winning coach and one of the most respected voices in women’s sports, shared her thoughts on the escalating rivalry—and welcomed it with open arms.
“I think it’s great for our game,” Staley said about the Clark-Reese rivalry. “It’s a sport. Treat us like a sport. It happens in every sport—soccer, basketball, football—so let it be.”
Staley also backed the officiating: “I’m going to take the lead of Angel and Caitlin, and that lead is: they said it was a foul. The officials got it right, and we’re moving on.”
More than just a heated moment on the court, the Clark-Reese incident is proving to be a magnet for new WNBA fans, pulling in audiences who may have never tuned into a women’s basketball game before.
“I do think there are new fans that haven’t watched our game,” Staley said. “I just hope that they’ll open their eyes to the rest of the talent that’s there. The product is incredible, and it’s in high demand.”
She referenced the historic viewership of the 2023 NCAA women’s championship, where Caitlin Clark faced off against South Carolina, with over 20 million viewers tuning in—a record-shattering number for the sport.
Staley, like millions of fans, is already eagerly awaiting the next WNBA matchup between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
“I’m looking forward to the next time they play, too,” she said. “I’m going to be glued in just like everybody else. I’m a fan.”
As the WNBA season unfolds, every game featuring these two fierce competitors becomes must-watch TV, further cementing their rivalry as the heartbeat of the league’s new era.
