The budding rivalry between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever keeps simmering.
With the Sky up 63-62 at the end of the third quarter Sunday, forward Angel Reese appeared to hit Fever guard and fellow rookie Caitlin Clark across the head as she went for a layup. The hard foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1.
In the Sky’s last matchup against the Fever, Chicago guard Chennedy Carter shoved Clark in the back, which drew ire. During the game, officials ruled it as a common foul and didn’t review it. The WNBA later upgraded it to a Flagrant 1.
Calling a Flagrant 1 on Reese seems like the right choice. This season, it’s fair to say teams have targeted Clark, the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft. If officials address it, however, they should stop.
Regardless, Clark excelled in a 91-83 victory, scoring 23 points and logging eight rebounds and nine assists on 7-of-11 shooting. Reese, meanwhile, had a double-double (11 points and 13 rebounds) but finished with five fouls.
The Fever (5-10) have defeated the Sky (4-9) in their last two matchups, which could give Clark an edge in a tight Rookie of the Year race. As of Sunday, FanDuel gives Clark the best odds (-700) to win the award ahead of Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink and Reese.
