On June 24, Angel Reese showcased her skills with a career-best performance, scoring 25 points and grabbing 16 rebounds to lead the Chicago Sky to an 88-87 victory over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena. The game was played in front of a sold-out crowd of over 10,000 fans, highlighting the intense college-to-WNBA rivalry between Clark and Reese, both standout rookies in the league. Their matchup drew significant attention both from spectators in attendance and viewers watching from home.
Despite the intense social media discourse and heightened ticket prices for their third meeting this season, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have both downplayed any rivalry between them.
“I just let my game speak for itself,” Reese commented to reporters. “The most important thing for me is to win. I came to Chicago to build a winning culture. I have a coach here that believes in me, loves me. On and off the court, we have a great relationship. I have teammates that love me and appreciate me. That’s all that matters. I have a family that loves me and appreciates me. Everybody that I know really, genuinely loves me. I have who I have.”
“Outside really doesn’t bother me. I just come out and play and let my performance speak for itself.”
Clark had a strong showing with 17 points, a franchise-record 13 assists, six rebounds, four steals, and five turnovers for the Fever. Despite the competitive nature of the game, she praised Angel Reese’s performance in her postgame remarks.
“I thought she ran really well in transition,” Clark said about Reese. “She got a couple And-1s in transition. Obviously, she played a really great game. I think they definitely knew to be physical with us. … I thought she played a really great game.”
The Chicago Sky outshot the Indiana Fever 50% to 46.4% and dominated the boards with a 38-25 rebounding advantage. They also capitalized on points in the paint, outscoring the Fever 48-25 in that category. Although the Fever led by as many as 15 points, they were outscored 24-15 in the final 10 minutes of the game, resulting in their defeat.
Several notable personalities, including WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, rappers Chance the Rapper and Lil Dirk, and actor Jason Sudeikis, attended the game.
“You know everybody’s watching right now,” Reese commented on the heightened attention to the WNBA this season. “I think this is one of the most important times right now. We’ve just continue to keep putting on. I think both teams did an amazing job of putting on a show. It was fun. I had a great time. I’m sure the other team had a great time too.”
“I’m just happy we won.”
In Sunday’s game, Sky guard Chennedy Carter contributed 24 points and five assists to their victory. Rookie center Kamilla Cardoso added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 24 points.
Caitlin Clark made 5 of 11 shot attempts, including five 3-pointers, in the loss. Angel Reese was efficient with 8 of 12 shooting from the floor. Both rookies, who are frontrunners for WNBA Rookie of the Year, have shown increased production recently.
Clark struggled earlier in the season, shooting 35.7% overall and 29.7% from 3-point range in her first 11 games, while averaging 15.6 points, 6.4 assists, 5.4 turnovers, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. The Fever went 2-9 during that stretch. However, in her last seven games, she has shot 47.5% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc, averaging 17.2 points, seven assists, six rebounds, 5.8 turnovers, and two steals per game, helping the Fever to a 5-2 record.
Reese started with 35.3% shooting and averaged 10.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in her first seven games, as the Sky went 3-4. Recently, she improved to 44.4% shooting and averaged 15.5 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.1 steals over her last eight games. The Sky are 3-5 in this stretch but have won their last two games.
Reese extended her rookie-record double-double streak to eight consecutive games in the win over the Fever, helping the Sky (6-9) move ahead of the Fever (7-11) for the No. 8 spot in the WNBA standings. The top eight teams in the standings at the end of the season qualify for the playoffs.
Next, the Sky will host the Las Vegas Aces (8-6) at 7 p.m. EDT on Thursday in Chicago, while the Fever will face the Seattle Storm (10-6) at 10 p.m. EDT on Thursday in Seattle.
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