Caitlin Clark sends brutal message to Angel Reese with her sneakers as WNBA rivals face off
Caitlin Clark showed off her exclusive Nike sneakers at a pregame press conference before Saturday's game against the Chicago Sky in another brutal message to rival Angel Reese.
Hours before Reese and Clark nearly came to blows during the third quarter of Saturday's WNBA opener for both women, it was the reigning Rookie of the Year who flaunted her red and silver shoes.
Clark wore them for a first time in a game, saving them for the tilt against Reese, while before, only using them behind closed doors.
To present them in front of cameras for the first time, Clark stuck her leg up on the table where she sat behind while talking to the press.
'They're custom, so you won't get them,' Clark said of her shoes. 'I think they are the Rookie of the Year Kobe [Bryant] [Player Exclusives]. There's a picture of that the Fever took after the season, when I had my trophy. I was in my red uniform, so that's what they're based off of.'
'Nike designed them and they did well. I've been wearing them in practice but I take them off before [the press] get there. Sorry.'
It was a few hours before Reese and Clark nearly came to blows during the third quarter
Clark and Reese met four times during their rookie WNBA seasons, with the Fever victorious three times.
The duo have been linked dating back to their college days at Iowa and LSU, where they have been at the forefront in the rise in women's basketball.
Both Clark and Reese were named WNBA All-Stars last season and helped take down Team USA during their only loss last summer before they won a gold medal at the Olympics.
It was during the LSU-Iowa national championship game in 2023 where Reese's point at her ring finger in Clark's face appeared to be the catalyst for the rise in popularity of women's basketball.
Now, the latest twist in their rivalry has set the tone for the WNBA season.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘It's more frustration with you guys' – Rory McIlroy explains skipping media in tense interview after US Open nightmare
RORY MCILORY insists he's "earned the right to do whatever I want to do" after snubbing the press after his first two US Open Rounds. The Masters champion declined to speak to the world's media after his first two rounds at Oakmont in an apparent response to the coverage of his use of an illegal driver at last month's PGA Championship. 4 4 The 36-year-old eventually spoke with the press after his four-over 74 round on Saturday and didn't hold back in his first post-round interview since Augusta. He said of his brief blackout: "It's just frustration with you guys [some sections of the media]. "I have been totally available for the past number of years. "That [driver issue] was a part of it, but at Augusta, I skipped you guys on Thursday. It's not out of the ordinary as I've done it before, but I am doing it a little more often. "I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do." McIlroy's form has fallen off a cliff since sealing his career Grand Slam in April. He looked certain to miss the cut — like defending champion Bryson DeChambeau and plenty of other big names — until he conjured two birdies in the last four holes of his second round. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Inside Rory McIlroy's whirlwind love life RORY MCILROY enjoyed a high-profile romance with former tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki before their split in 2014. The following year, the golf ace began dating Erica Stoll, who he had first met on the PGA Tour in 2011. Erica often interacted with players through her role as the PGA's manager of championship volunteer operations. She even prevented McIlroy from missing his tee time at the 2012 Ryder Cup after some confusion over the time zone. The incident began a firm friendship between the pair, four years before their relationship turned romantic. McIlroy and Erica were spotted on a string of dates in Rochester, New York, in the early days of their relationship. Just eight months later, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017. The pair then welcomed daughter Poppy into the world three years later. Throughout their time together, McIlroy and Erica have kept their relationship to themselves, with the golfer keen to protect his family from the cameras during filming of Netflix's Full Swing documentary series. However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy filed for divorce from Erica. The reasons for the divorce were not disclosed, but the Northern Irishman submitted documents to a court in Florida. However, a few weeks later, performed a U-turn on their decision to divorce. McIlroy told the outlet: "Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.' And McIlory admitted his lack of motivation is so bad that he would not have worried if he had missed the cut. He said: 'I was thinking, 'Do I really want two more days here?'. So it makes it easier to play better in that mindset. Rory McIlroy reacts to PGA Championship delay 'You don't know how you're going to react to something like my Masters win — something I'd dreamt about for a long time. And, yeah, I have felt a little flat on the golf course afterwards. 'I actually feel I've played OK this week. It's a golf course where the tiniest mistakes get penalised.' Given his mindset, it is no surprise McIlroy's faint US Open hopes vanished with a whimper rather than a roar. A four-over-par 74 kept the Northern Irishman among the back markers, and in this mood, he will do well to improve on his 47th-place finish at the USPGA a few weeks ago. At times, it has looked as if McIlroy has been going through the motions since Augusta, especially when he finished 149th out of 153 finishers in the Canadian Open last week. Sadly, Oakmont has proved another example of McIlroy playing without his usual drive and desire. It was hard to avoid the suspicion that he set out yesterday knowing he was unlikely to make significant inroads on the nine-shot gap that separated him from 36-hole leader Sam Burns — especially on a front nine that has proved a minefield for the world No 2. McIlroy played the opening stretch in NINE OVER PAR over the first two days, while shooting three under on the back nine. The front nine is the tougher half — but not that much harder. Marc Leishman and Corey Conners, in the groups just behind McIlroy, underlined that fact by both playing the first nine holes in three under yesterday, although both found it much tougher after the turn. McIlroy needed a fast start to round three to have any chance of a miracle fightback, but a bogey on the third meant he was quickly heading in the wrong direction. Another shot went at the ninth and even though he finally made his first birdie at the tenth, he gave it straight back by finding a bunker on the 11th. A rueful shrug of the shoulders was the only reaction when he missed a tiddler for par at the 14th. And another shot went with a three-putt on the 16th. The relatively easy 17th, where he demolished the tee marker 24 hours earlier, yielded a second birdie. Almost inevitably, that shot was handed back at the last, dropping the five-time Major winner to ten over. Asked what he was hoping for in his final round, McIlroy added: "Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here."
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lionel Messi's brilliance only enough for Inter Miami draw to kick off Club World Cup
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance as his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al Ahly in the opening clash of the revamped Club World Cup. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL's Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face Porto on Thursday in Atlanta while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, will take on Palmeiras in New York, where more of their fans are expected to turn up. Miami coach Javier Mascherano was quick to praise his Argentine star despite the slightly frustrating stalemate. 'It's admirable how much love Messi has for the game," said Mascherano. 'After all the matches he's played, he's still here, giving his all. Of course, we wanted to win, but I'm happy with the team's performance today. 'It's clear that when we find Leo (Messi) in the right positions and give him good passes, we have more options and chances. In the first half, we kept trying to find him with the first ball, but they were ready for us. 'When we were more patient, we were able to find Leo. And we all know what he can do when he finds space. 'We were very nervous and anxious in the first half, which is normal given the context. In the second half, we were more patient. We played all over the pitch, created chances and could have scored to win the game. But it's a 90-minute match, and let's not forget we struggled in that first half.' No incidents were reported at the game after around 1,000 protesters gathered in the morning near President Donald Trump 's Mar-a-Lago estate, about 70 miles (110 km) north of Miami, waving placards and chanting slogans as part of coordinated nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations. In Miami, 60,927 fans almost filled the 65,000-capacity stadium for Inter Miami's clash with Al-Ahly dismissing, at least on the night, concerns about the attractiveness of the tournament featuring 32 teams for the first time, a year before the World Cup in the U.S. Al-Ahly, backed by dozens of thousands of fans, got off to a strong start but wasted two early chances and Mimai goalkeeper Oscar Ustari parried away Trezeguet's poorly-taken penalty after Zizo was fouled in the box by Telasco Segovia. Messi threatened at times after spending some time on the ground after being hit on the knee, but Miami could feel lucky not to be behind at half-time. The American side, however, stepped up a gear after the break, and Messi came close when his nicely curled free kick kissed the post and hit the side netting. With six minutes left, the World Cup winner scooped a perfect cross for Fafa Picault, whose header was tipped over the bar by Mohamed Elshenawy. He came an inch from scoring in the dying second when his curled strike from outside the box was tipped onto the bar by Elshenawy. The Club World Cup continues on Sunday with Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain taking on Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich playing Auckland City.
The Guardian
33 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Brad Marchand helms Panthers past Oilers to brink of Stanley Cup repeat
Brad Marchand is making more highlights for his new team, Sam Bennett is piling up the goals again and the Florida Panthers are on the verge of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row. Marchand scored twice, Bennett had his playoff-leading 15th goal and the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 of the final on Saturday night to take a 3-2 series lead. The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road during this run, matching the NHL record for victories away from home in a single playoffs. They can hoist the Cup again as soon as Tuesday night if they win Game 6 on home ice in Sunrise. 'It was very solid game, definitely,' goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said. 'But the series continues and we are excited about the next game. It's going to be a big game.' Florida this time built a multi-goal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers. Marchand, Bennett and Sam Reinhart provided the offense. Marchand joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to score five-plus goals in a final multiple times, and his 13 career goals in the final are the most among active players. 'I'm just enjoying every moment,' said Marchand, who is in his fourth final and third since winning the Cup with Boston in 2011. 'It's such a special group of guys, and I'm having so much fun here right now. I honestly feel like a young guy in the league again, just excited to be part of the group.' Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series after the Oilers fell behind 3-0. Reinhart's came 46 seconds later to restore the Panthers' three-goal lead, and by the time Corey Perry scored with 3:13 left, it was too late. Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:19 left, silencing the once fired-up crowd for a final time. 'We just got to play our game earlier,' Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. 'We can all agree in our room that we can be better.' Edmonton's power play went 0 for 3, a product of the Panthers' aggressive penalty kill knocking McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the top unit out of their usual rhythm. Calvin Pickard lost for the first time in eight starts this spring, allowing four goals on 18 shots. He got the nod over Stuart Skinner after entering in relief and winning Game 4 to improve to 7-0, a record that is now 7-1. Skinner could be back in for Game 6, with the Panthers aiming to close things out following another cross-continental trip back to the other corner of North America. They are in this spot after bouncing back from blowing a three-goal lead and falling in overtime in Game 4, taking advantage of their depth to send the Oilers to the brink again. 'We've been pretty good at bouncing back all playoffs,' Marchand said. 'We learned a pretty good lesson there last game, and thought we did a much better job in this one.'
