Saturday’s highly anticipated WNBA showdown between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky delivered both on and off the court, becoming the most-watched WNBA game ever on ESPN, according to Fox News.
The matchup marked the first professional meeting between rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese—two of the most talked-about players entering the league this season—since their college rivalry last year. Despite both athletes downplaying any personal animosity, tensions flared during the game when Clark committed a flagrant foul on Reese, who had to be restrained following the play.
The Fever dominated the Sky 93-58 in their season opener, extending their recent success against Chicago to 4-1 since Clark and Reese entered the league. But the result was quickly overshadowed by the fallout surrounding the incident and what followed.
In the days after the game, the WNBA launched an investigation into alleged racist remarks and threats directed at Reese by Indiana fans. Reese, who previously spoke about experiencing racism from fans during her collegiate career, reposted a viral TikTok video that criticized the narrative of a “rivalry” between her and Clark, saying it distracted from the “severity” of the situation.
“The situation at hand is that when Angel Reese walks into the Indiana Fever arena, she is no longer safe,” the TikTok user said. “There are some Indiana Fever fans who are racist, who will treat her like she is not a human being, who will hurl slurs and threats her way, and that is not OK.”
Clark, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, condemned the alleged behavior.
“There’s no place for that in our game,” she said, according to the Indianapolis Star. “There’s no place for that in society. Certainly, we want every person that comes into our arena—whether player, whether fan—to have a great experience.”
She added that she supports the league’s investigation and praised the Fever organization for addressing the issue proactively.
