- WNBA. Caitlin Clark leads Fever past Sky in intense matchup marked by Angel Reese's flagrant foul
- WNBA. Angel Reese won't apologize to Caitlin Clark for flagrant foul, blames referees
The rivalry between WNBA rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese began in the NCAA and has carried over to the pros -- with the latest matchup between the two proving that the on-court enmity won't go away any time soon.
During Sunday's showdown between Clark's Indiana Fever and Reese's Chicago Sky, Reese clattered Clark while the guard was driving to the rim in the third quarter, warranting a flagrant foul call. The foul immediately became a hot-button debate topic on social media and will dominate sports talk shows in the coming days -- but in her first comments to the media following Sunday's game, Clark made it clear that she didn't want to be part of the controversy.
Clark keeps her cool
Following the Fever's 91-83 win over the Sky, Clark addressed the viral incident, a hard hit to the head which resulted in two free throws. Rather than going after Reese in the media, Clark chose a more measured approach when analyzing what happened.
"It's just part of basketball, it is what it is," Clark said. "She was trying to make a play on the ball and get the block."
Beyond the hard , Clark said she wanted to make sure that she knocked down the two free throws that came with the flagrant call. Not blowing a chance for those two extra points mattered to the 22-year-old more than anything.
"Those free throws, when you have to shoot them with nobody at the line are kind of hard," Clark explained. "It's a little different than having people at the line, so I was trying to focus on making those."
Clark's focus and resolve helped her to an efficient Father's Day afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. She scored 23 points on only 11 shots and flirted with a triple-double by providing nine assists and grabbing eight rebounds, showing that she is adapting to the WNBA's competitiveness and physical intensity.