The rivalry lives on. That much can be said with certainty when it comes to Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese.
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The latest episode came Sunday, when Reese delivered a hard foul to Clark's head when Clark was driving to the hoop. It did indeed look like a play on the ball — but was ruled a Flagrant 1 foul anyway, Clark and the Indian Fever claimed a 91-83 victory and are now 2-0 against Reese and the Chicago Sky.
As for the foul, Clark was her usual diplomatic self.
"It's just part of basketball. It is what it is," she told reporters. "Trying to make a play on the ball, get the block. I mean, it happens."
The foul occurred in the third quarter and quickly hit social media. Reese went off on WNBA officiating when asked about the play after the game.
"I can't control the refs," she said. "They affected the game a lot tonight. ... I'm always going for the ball. But y'all going to play that clip 20 times before Monday."
After review, Angel Reese called for a flagrant 1 for this foul against Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/xziAPf6ZGp
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 16, 2024
Actually, it's been played way more than 20 times before Monday. More like 2 million.
But in this instance, you can't fault Reece for trying to play defense. As Clark said, it happens. And it really does, at all levels of basketball. The fact this one involved Reece and Clark, however, made it a much bigger deal in the eyes of the general public.
Anyway, Clark may have had her best game as a pro, finishing with a game-high 23 points. Both games matching Clark and Reece were sellouts and nationally televised.
"I think it's just the emotion and the passion that we play with," Clark said. "I think people love to see that. And I think that's maybe not something that was always appreciated in women's sports, and it should be. I think that's what makes it fun. 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."
(Getty)
