Caitlin Clark issued flagrant foul for hacking Angel Reese in Fever-Sky season opener
Follow The Athletic's live coverage of Fever-Sky.
The years-long rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese added another moment Saturday.
Clark knocked Reese to the floor midway through the third quarter of the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky's season opener, a play that led to Clark's first career flagrant foul.
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The foul occurred as Reese went up for a layup and Clark appeared to wrap her up to prevent the shot. Reese went sprawling to the floor, and replays showed Clark extended her arms upon making contact. Reese jumped to her feet and began yelling toward Clark as the Fever guard walked in the opposite direction, and Reese and Fever forward Aliyah Boston received technical fouls after the review.
Clark said she fouled Reese to prevent an open layup and send her to the free-throw line.
'Nothing malicious about it. It was just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that,' Clark told ESPN after the third quarter.
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
The foul occurred with Indiana leading 56-42. After Reese made one of her free throws and Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot made a layup, the Fever finished the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 20-point lead into the fourth.
Through three quarters, Clark had 14 points, seven rebounds and led all players with eight assists. Reese had a game-high 15 rebounds to go with 10 points on 12 shots.
Clark and Reese's careers have been intertwined since 2023, when Reese's LSU defeated Clark's Iowa in the national championship game.
As rookies last season, Reese committed a flagrant foul on Clark in their teams' second matchup, which wound up being a 91-83 Fever victory. As Clark drove to the basket in the third quarter, Reese tried to block Clark's shot but hit her in the head. Unlike this year, when both players had to be separated, last season's hard foul didn't come with any extracurriculars. Clark went to the bench as the play was reviewed, while Reese huddled with her teammates. Clark later said the hard foul was 'just a part of basketball.'
This story will be updated.
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