Angel Reese fined by WNBA after explosive loss to Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever

The WNBA has fined Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese $1,000 after the star rookie failed to make herself available to the media following Saturday’s loss to the Indiana Fever

The WNBA has fined Angel Reese $1,000 after she failed to make herself available to reporters following Saturday’s game against the Indiana Fever.

The Chicago Sky, meanwhile, have been fined an additional $5,000 for their player’s violation of the league media policies. Facing off against fellow rookie Caitlin Clark for the first time in the WNBA, Reese recorded eight points, 13 rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes played. Her strong performance ultimately wasn’t enough to propel the Sky to a win, however, with Chicago suffering a narrow 71-70 loss.

In the closing seconds of the third quarter, Reese found herself involved adjacent to an ugly incident. As Clark looked to receive an inbound pass, Sky guard Chennedy Carter shoulder checked the 22-year-old, sending her crashing to the floor with a hard foul.

Moments after Carter initiated the unruly contact, Reese jumped up from her spot on the bench and seemed to applaud her teammate for the physical defense. Fans online quickly took aim at the 22-year-old, slamming her for appearing to commend the illegal hit.

“Angel Reese hopping off the bench to throw a parade for Caitlin Clark’s murder is crazy,” one fan wrote, with another adding: “Angel Reese is such a clown. Yet she loses to Caitlin yet again.”

Speaking to ESPN before the fourth quarter kicked off, Clark addressed Carter’s blatant shove. “Yeah, that’s just not a basketball play,” Clark said. “But you know I’ve gotta play through it, that’s what basketball is about at this level. I thought we’ve been really physical, we’ve missed some bunnies around the rim, so hopefully those fall in the fourth.

Reese’s rivalry with Caitlin Clark is only heating up
“I wasn’t expecting that,” she added during a post-game interview. “But it’s just like, ‘Respond, calm down and let your play do the talking.’ It is what it is … Go make the free throw and then execute on offense.”

Though Reese was absent from post-game interviews, which are mandatory and outlined in the CBA, Carter was present to field questions. But the 25-year-old refused to speak on her run-in with Clark, stating: “I ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions. I don’t know what she said. I didn’t say anything.”

On the heels of the confrontation, Carter remained active on social media, sharing several posts and videos that took aim at Clark. Under one clip of her after the game, she commented: “And that’s that on that cause beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man.”

Carter then reposted a video of Clark falling to the court after Reese boxed her out alongside the caption: “Clean box out by Angel Reese or flop by Caitlin Clark?” The Sky guard also shared a side-by-side comparison of her and Clark’s stats from Saturday’s contest, in which she scored a game-high 19 points.