Angel Reese smacks Caitlin Clark in the head after more fouls by her Chicago Sky teammates as Dave Portnoy hits out at their brutal treatment of WNBA’s No. 1 pick
Caitlin Clark was struck on the head by Angel Reese and subjected to more rough treatment by the Chicago Sky on Sunday, causing Dave Portnoy to hit out at the WNBA team.
Clark and the Indiana Fever took on Chicago for the first time on Sunday since the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft was brutally bodychecked by Chennedy Carter earlier this month.
The Fever won the first meeting 71-70 at home on June 1 but the game was overshadowed by Sky guard Carter’s hip-check foul on Clark before an inbounds play.
It was ruled a common foul, only to be upgraded to a flagrant-one foul the day after the game.
But, on Sunday, it didn’t take long for Clark to be targeted by Reese, Carter and their Sky teammate Dana Evans again.
As Clark drove towards the basket in the first quarter, Evans snuck her arm through Clark’s and hooked and held her to stop her momentum.
But when Clark gestured to the referee for a foul, Evans threw her arm away from Clark and appeared to say something before smiling in the Fever star’s direction.
It promoted Barstool Sports chief Portnoy to post a clip of the play on X and write: ‘Chicago Sky doing Chicago Sky stuff’.
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Then, in the third quarter, Clark was jumping for the basket when Reese smashed her in the side of the head.
The ball had already clearly gone beyond the former LSU player, who continued to hit Clark on the head with her forearm.
The bodycheck earlier this month, and Carter’s stated lack of regret for it, ignited several days of social media controversy that divided fans and led to accusations of racism from both sides.
Speaking before Sunday’s game, Carter said: ‘I’m just ready to play today’s game.
‘I don’t care what people are saying. I don’t care what they’re talking about. I’m locked in.’
Clark has aimed to stay above the fray, but recently she made clear she did not want her name to be used to push political agendas. She also said she did not need Carter to apologize for the foul.
‘Basketball’s competitive. I get it,’ Clark said. ‘Sometimes your emotions get the best of you – it happened to me multiple times throughout the course of my career. People are competitive.
‘(Carter is) having a tremendous season. She’s played great basketball – in my eyes, probably in first place for Sixth Player of the Year.’
