A foul by Angel Reese that was missed by the referees seemingly began the chain of events that ended with WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s controversial hard foul against Reese.
With 4:38 to play in the third quarter of what would be the Indiana Fever’s 93-58 rout of the Chicago Sky on Saturday, Clark whacked Reese as the Sky forward was driving to the basket, sending her to the floor.
Reese got up angry and stalked after Clark, only to be blocked by Fever teammate Aliyah Boston. When the smoke cleared, Clark had a flagrant 1 foul while Reese and Boston collected technical fouls.
Clouds of rhetoric flowed from this latest chapter in the Reese-Clark rivalry that has been a storyline for two years, but it took Clay Travis to notice that there was more to the story.
This Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark “controversy” is insane. Watch the play, Reese clearly fouls the other chick — pushing her in the back with both hands — to get the rebound. Clark points to it and then when the call isn’t made, fouls to stop the open layup. pic.twitter.com/M3cpk1Qap0
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 19, 2025
“This Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark ‘controversy’ is insane,” Travis posted on X.
“Watch the play, Reese clearly fouls the other chick — pushing her in the back with both hands — to get the rebound. Clark points to it and then when the call isn’t made, fouls to stop the open layup,” he wrote.
Fever forward Natasha Howard was the player shoved, according to Sports Illustrated. Clark pointed toward where the foul took place, then took it upon herself to act by fouling Reese.
Was Reese’s foul worse than Clark’s?
After the game, Clark said there was nothing vicious in fouling Reese.
“It’s just a good take foul. Either Angel gets [a] wide-open two points or we send them to the free throw line,” Clark said, according to CBS.
“Nothing malicious about it. Every basketball player knows that,” she said.
Clark noted that when she and Reese are concerned, tiny things are blown out of proportion.
“Let’s not make it something that it’s not,” Clark said, according to the New York Post.
“It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion. It’s a take foul to put them at the free-throw line,” she said.
“I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am.”
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese could be one heck of a rivalry if Angel Reese was good at basketball… pic.twitter.com/aHaj4VL4N4
— ฿₳₮₮ⱠɆ ฿ɎⱤĐ (@BattleByrd) May 18, 2025
Reese had been hot after falling to the floor but brushed it off after the game.
“Basketball play, refs got it right, move on,” Reese said.
Clark had a triple-double in the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Reese had a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
