Angel Reese Calls Caitlin Clark Foul a ‘Basketball Play,’ Blames Refs After Loss

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Angel Reese impressed with a double-double during the Chicago Sky’s 91-83 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday, but it was her flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark that will likely generate plenty of discourse in the aftermath.

“Basketball play, I can’t control the refs,” she told reporters when asked about the play in question. “They affected the game, obviously, a lot today.”

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Angel Reese was called for a flagrant 1 for this foul on Caitlin Clark<br><br>(via <a href=”https://twitter.com/CBSSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CBSSports</a>)<a href=”https://t.co/8JdiqzD2dC”>pic.twitter.com/8JdiqzD2dC</a>

Anything involving Reese and Clark is going to receive additional attention given the high-profile nature of their rookie seasons and overall connection to each other that date back to college.

They played each other in the 2023 national championship game in college, and Reese led her LSU Tigers to a victory and then celebrated by pointing to her ring finger and breaking out the “you can’t see me” celebration that Clark herself often did.

However, Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes earned some revenge with an Elite Eight win over LSU this past season.

The rivalry reached another level in their first WNBA matchup on June 1 when the Fever won 71-70 in a game that was defined by Sky guard Chennedy Carter knocking Clark to the ground. She was issued an away-from-the-play foul in the moment, and the WNBA upgraded it to a flagrant upon review.

Whether it was Carter refusing to answer questions about Clark and then criticizing her on social media or Reese being fined $1,000 for not making herself available to the media in the aftermath of the loss, the game led to plenty of back-and-forth in the aftermath.

Reese did speak to reporters after Sunday’s loss, but it wasn’t all about Clark.

She also said, “I’m not used to losing like this, but I’m gonna be mad and sad about it or I’m going to get up and figure out what I can do better.”

Chicago is just 4-9 on the season and has struggled in the early going of what figures to be a rebuilding year. But there are plenty of promising pieces in place, including notable rookies in Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.

They both notched double-doubles in the loss with the former posting 11 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals and the latter finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

As long as they both continue to improve with more experience, the future figures to be much brighter for Reese and the Sky.

Caitlin Clark’s teammate Kristy Wallace comes to her defense after hard foul by Sky

One of the early narratives during Clark’s rookie season with the Indiana Fever was people questioning where her teammates have been when she is the recipient of hard fouls, especially when she was hip-checked by Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter during their matchup earlier this month.

In the first quarter of the rematch Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Clark was driving with the ball when Sky guard Dana Evans grabbed her arm and then Carter also made hard contact.

This time, Fever guard Kristy Wallace came over and stood up for Clark.

The Sky’s Dana Evans (11) fouls Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in Sunday’s first quarter.CBS
Kristy Wallace (3) of the Fever gets in the face of the Sky’s Dana Evans (11) after Evans fouled Caitlin Clark.CBS

The tension did not escalate from there, and Evans was whistled for a common foul.

The Sky led the Fever 26-23 at the end of the first quarter.

Clark went 3-for-4 with seven points, two assists and two rebounds in the opening quarter.