SEATTLE 鈥 Let鈥檚 talk about the flagrant foul.
Or, instead: Let鈥檚 talk about why we鈥檙e talking about the flagrant foul.
With 4:38 left in the third quarter of the Indiana Fever鈥檚 season-opening 93-58 win on Saturday, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese shoved Fever forward Natasha Howard in the back, which allowed Reese to wrangle an offensive rebound. Fever guard Caitlin Clark 鈥 perhaps the most popular player in sports 鈥 pointed out the missed call, then wrapped her arms around Reese to prevent an uncontested layup.
If you鈥檝e watched ESPN in the past few days, or scrolled through the reactionary minefield on social media, or stumbled upon an internet connection of any kind, you know what happened next. Reese crumbled to the court, then stood and beelined toward Clark, as Fever center Aliyah Boston forcefully held her back. While Clark raised her hands and retreated toward her bench, Reese untucked her jersey, pointed her finger and talked to two assistant coaches.
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The Chicago Sky's Angel Reese (5) takes a hard foul from the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
All of the above is good for business, though the WNBA would prefer to expunge the parts it can鈥檛 control.
Clark was called for a Flagrant 1 foul 鈥 which, per the WNBA rule book, is assessed when contact 鈥渋s interpreted to be unnecessary鈥 鈥 and Reese and Boston were dealt dual technical fouls.
It was a foul. A hard foul. A smart foul, given that Reese missed one of her two free throws.
It was also, in a league with a more physical brand of play than the NBA, unexceptional.
鈥淓ither Angel gets a wide-open two points or we send them to the free-throw line. Nothing malicious about it,鈥 Clark told ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that.鈥
Added Reese, echoing a similar sentiment: 鈥淏asketball play. Refs got it right. Move on.鈥
So, there it is: an open and shut case. There were two other flagrant fouls in the WNBA last weekend that nobody talked about.
But why can鈥檛 we move on?
John Nolan joined Chelsa and Michael to discuss the Indiana Fever's offseason additions, and if star Caitlin Clark can surpass her rookie season performance and perhaps be the league's MVP in only her second season?
Because, given the context, this was more than a controversial call. It started on April 2, 2023, when Reese鈥檚 LSU Tigers bested Clark鈥檚 Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA Tournament championship game. Near the end of LSU鈥檚 102-85 win, Reese taunted Clark by waving her hand in front of her face and pointing to her ring finger. Clark and Co. bounded back the following season, expelling LSU from the tournament with a 94-87 Elite Eight win.
That competitive friction followed both to the WNBA. On June 1, 2024, Sky guard Chennedy Carter earned a Flagrant 1 for hip-checking Clark to the court 鈥 earning applause from Reese, who stood and clapped as Clark was helped to her feet.
All the while, we watched. Saturday鈥檚 game, flagrant foul included, averaged 2.7 million viewers on ABC, becoming the WNBA鈥檚 most-watched regular-season game in 25 years. The league also attracted more than 54 million unique viewers in 2024, a record. The most-watched games ever on ESPN, ESPN2, CBS and NBA TV all occurred last season 鈥 and all involved Clark.
What鈥檚 more, the WNBA enjoyed its best attendance in 22 years and a 48% increase from 2023. Three games exceeded 20,000 fans 鈥 and again, not coincidentally, all three involved Clark. The Fever鈥檚 home attendance of 340,715 was a season record and even outdrew the per-game average of the NBA鈥檚 Indiana Pacers, who meet the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
Clark 鈥 the greatest scorer college basketball has ever seen 鈥 was the dominant reason for that eruption. The 23-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, has graduated from exceptional athlete to cultural phenomenon, introducing a sport to a wider audience like Tiger Woods once did with golf. The WNBA, and the entirety of women鈥檚 basketball, benefits from the bump.
Still, rivalries 鈥 heroes and villains and storylines, all subjective 鈥 build both leagues and legends.
The rivalry between Clark and Reese has played a part as well.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has said that she supports the WNBA鈥檚 investigation into alleged racial comments being aimed towards the Chicago Sky鈥檚 Angel Reese. Clark claimed that she didn鈥檛 hear the alleged comments from fans during her team鈥檚 93-58 win over the Sky, as it was too loud inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 鈥淚t鈥檚 super loud in here, and though I didn鈥檛 hear anything, I think that鈥檚 why they鈥檙e doing the investigation. That鈥檚 why they鈥檙e looking into it鈥 鈥淚 appreciate the league doing that (investigation). I appreciate the Fever organization has been at the forefront of this really since Day 1 and what they鈥檙e doing,鈥 said Caitlin Clark. Clark and Reese formed a rivalry during their college years, which has continued into the WNBA, with the former winning Rookie of the Year last year ahead of the latter in second. The pair clashed during the game on opening night, when Clark smacked Reese鈥檚 arm in an effort to prevent a layup with 4:35 left in the third quarter. Reese fell to the floor before getting up and confronting Clark but was stopped by the latter鈥檚 teammate Aliyah Boston, who stepped in between the pair. Clark鈥檚 foul was later upgraded to a Flagrant 1 foul, with Reese and Boston both receiving technicals for their part in the hostilities. After the game, Reese, Clark, Fever coach Stephanie White and Sky coach Tyler Marsh all described the incident as a basketball play. However, none of them addressed potentially hearing what is being described by league officials as 鈥渉ateful comments鈥 from the stands.
鈥淟ook where women鈥檚 basketball is. People are talking about women鈥檚 basketball that you never would think would be talking about women鈥檚 basketball,鈥 Reese said last summer. 鈥淧eople are pulling up to games. We got celebrities coming to games, sold-out arenas, just because of one single game (the 2023 national championship game).
鈥淎nd just looking at that, I鈥檒l take that role. I鈥檒l take the bad guy role, and I鈥檒l continue to take that on and be that for my teammates. And if I want to be that and I know I鈥檒l go down in history. I鈥檒l look back in 20 years and be like, 鈥榊eah, the reason why we watching women鈥檚 basketball is not just because of one person.鈥 It鈥檚 because of me too, and I want you all to realize that.鈥
We鈥檙e watching, one, because Clark and Reese both have game to match the melodrama. If they couldn鈥檛 play, it wouldn鈥檛 matter. And though Clark (19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds per game) was WNBA Rookie of the Year, Reese (13.6 PPG, 13.1 RPG) was runner-up.
But let鈥檚 not be naive to the cultural context accompanying the rivalry 鈥 a charged political climate, a racial dynamic in which an anointed white player is credited with lifting a majority Black league, a social media landscape where anyone with Wi-Fi is afforded a microphone.
Add the ingredients, and to some it becomes more than a flagrant foul or a boastful ring finger.
Which may be why the WNBA is investigating allegations of 鈥渉ateful fan comments鈥 directed at Reese during Saturday鈥檚 game at Indiana.
鈥淭he WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms 鈥 they have no place in our league or in society,鈥 the WNBA said in a statement. 鈥淲e are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.鈥
The WNBA should absolutely investigate and do whatever possible to promote a safe and positive workplace for all of its players.
But this rivalry 鈥 not hate or racism, but this rivalry 鈥 is good for the game. Clark and Reese don鈥檛 have to like each other for it to be good for the game. The associated fan bases don鈥檛 have to like each other, either. Quite the contrary, a healthy animosity is evidence of emotional investment, though there is a line that cannot be crossed.
Rivalry 鈥 not hate or racism, but rivalry 鈥 is what we love about sports.
The foul itself was unexceptional.
The rivalry it鈥檚 part of, though imperfect in its impact, is ultimately beneficial to women鈥檚 basketball.
