Caitlin Clark’s performance for the Indiana Fever this WNBA season was marked by both brilliance and controversy, as her hard shove on Chicago Sky star Angel Reese drew a flagrant foul but did little to dampen her historic triple‑double delivery.
Yet, the collision of two of the sport’s brightest stars ensured that the season opener would be remembered as much for the feud it reignited as for Clark’s on‑court heroics.
Caitlin Clark’s Take on the Foul Invites Reese’s Measured Response
Amid a raucous crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, tensions soared when Clark met Reese under the basket with a forceful shove in the third quarter, sending the Sky forward sprawling to the hardwood.
As Reese leapt to her feet and stormed toward Clark. Fever center Aliyah Boston raced in to defuse the situation, earning a technical foul alongside both stars. The brief standoff set the tone for a game that was as physical as it was one‑sided.
Referees initially called a common foul, only to upgrade it to a flagrant 1 after review, signaling that the contact crossed the line of legal physicality.
Caitlin Clark received a flagrant foul on this play.
Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese received offsetting technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/jzQYEW92TW
— ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025
Unfazed, Clark returned to her all‑star form almost immediately, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists—a triple-double in Game 1 right off the bat.
According to WNBA’s X account, she also earned the title of the fastest player to claim a trio of triple-doubles in just 41 games in WNBA history.
Meanwhile, in an interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, the Fever guard defended her actions as “nothing malicious,” framing the shove as a “good take foul” intended to make Reese earn her points at the free‑throw line.
“It’s just a good take foul. You know, either Angel gets a wide-open two points, or we send them to the free-throw line. Nothing malicious about it. It’s just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that,” Clark insisted.
Caitlin Clark on her flagrant foul: “It’s just a good take foul. Either Angel gets wide open 2 points or we send them to the free throw line. Nothing malicious about it. It’s just a good take foul every basketball player knows that” https://t.co/wMYl7Kif5t pic.twitter.com/w0MHLiwTHM
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 17, 2025
The Fever guard asked fans and the media not to read too much into it: “Let’s not make it something that it’s not.”
In defending her actions, she expressed being surprised that the officials deemed it flagrant, insisting that she is not “the type of player” with “malicious” intent.
“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. 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.”
Meanwhile, Reese, who posted 12 points and 17 rebounds, echoed Clark during her postgame interview, characterizing the incident as typical physicality in a league where defenders must make opponents earn every basket — despite her lashing out at Clark after the foul when she yelled at Clark, “You crazy as hell, what’s wrong with you?”
Caitlin Clark fouls Angel Reese Hard!
“You crazy as F”
“What the F is wrong with you?” pic.twitter.com/MLUnHhNeUn
— HoopHer (@HoopHerSpeaks) May 17, 2025
Later, when asked if the foul crossed any lines, Reese quipped, “Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on,” delivering her verdict in eight succinct words.
The Ongoing Caitlin Clark – Angel Reese Rivalry
It doesn’t take long to see some real tension between Clark and Reese. And it didn’t start in the WNBA — it goes back to college.
Their rivalry really took off during the 2023 NCAA Championship. Reese’s team, LSU, beat Clark’s Iowa squad, and after the game, Reese made the “you can’t see me” hand gesture toward Clark. Some people thought it was just competitive fun, while others saw it as personal. Either way, it sparked a big debate.
Angel Reese hits Caitlin Clark with the “You Can’t See Me” 💀 pic.twitter.com/eA0YT0m9tA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 2, 2023
Fast forward to the WNBA. Clark was the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, landing with the Indiana Fever. Reese was picked seventh by the Chicago Sky. That means they’re now on different teams — but the story isn’t over.
The WNBA is more popular than ever, and the Reese-Clark rivalry is a big reason why. Every time they step on the court (and even off the court, for that matter), people want to know whether this is just fierce competition or if there is real dislike between them.
The Fever will host the Atlanta Dream on May 20 in a clash that could further define Clark’s budding legacy. Meanwhile, Chicago’s next game comes on the road, as they seek to rebound against Breanna Stewart’s New York Liberty on May 22 at 8 p.m. ET.