Getty Image / Brian Spurlock
The Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivarly may exist more on social media than it actually does for the two players. But, it is one of the biggest rivalries in all of American sports right now, and Sunday’s matchup of Clark’s Fever and Reese’s Sky isn’t going to put a damper on that.
Late in the third quarter of Sunday afternoon’s marquee matchup between the two teams, Clark drove into the paint, and Angel Reese tried to block her layup attempt. But, instead, she smacked Clark in the head.
Here’s the Angel Reese flagrant foul: pic.twitter.com/CSKELxqm7u
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) June 16, 2024
The play was reviewed, as is all contact about the shoulder and upgraded to a flagrant foul due to “unnecessary and excessive contact”, which is the definition of a flagrant foul in the WNBA.
The play probably does meet that description, and as in the NBA, it’s paramount to protect the head and neck areas of players. But, I think it’s reasonable to assume that there was no malicious intent by Angel Reese against Caitlin Clark on the play.
Still, I’m sure that people on social media will run with the play and take it way out of context, in typical social media fashion.
The rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark has been going on since the 2023 National Championship Game, when Angel Reese’s LSU Tigers between Caitlin Clark and Iowa, with Reese mocking Clark late in the game.
Iowa got their revenge this year in the Elite Eight, topping LSU, and Clark won the first matchup of the two in the WNBA last month that featured a much dirtier flagrant foul on Clark by Sky guard Chennedy Carter