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Saturday afternoon’s matchup between Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky was the most seen WNBA game ever at ESPN, and it lived up to expectations.
It was the season opener for both troops and it was the first match between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese since last year.
And although both players have publicly said that there is no rivalry or animosity between them, there was fireworks when Clark made an obvious mistake on Reese and Reese had to be held back.
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Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark (22) Fouls Chicago Sky Forward Angel Reese (5) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday 17 May 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Published Pictures)
After the game, WNBA launched a study of alleged hateful comments against Reese. She claimed last year that Clark, Indiana and the University of Iowa fans had been racist to her throughout the season.
In the midst of the investigation, a Tiktok user published a video saying that saying that there is a “rivalry” between the two teams and players would be “Innappriate … compared to the difficulty.”
“The situation at hand is that when Angel Reese enters the Indiana Fever Arena, she is no longer sure. She is not sure because there are some Indiana fever fans who are racist who will treat her as if she is a man who will throw slur and threats in her way, and it is not ok.
Chicago Sky Forward Angel Reese (5) responds to an obvious error from Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Saturday, May 17, 2025, during a game between Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/Indystar/USA Today Network via Imag images)
ESPN star suggests Caitlin Clark-Range Reese event became the speech point for more than racial reasons
“You knew everyone was going to happen. You knew everyone that the environment is unsafe for Angel.”
Reese repositioned the video on its own account.
Clark talked about the probe to the alleged comments and said there is “no place” for such a speech.
“There is no place for that in our game,” Clark told journalists via Indy Star. “There is no place for that in society. We definitely want any person who comes into our arena, regardless of whether the player, whether fan, should have a great experience.
“I appreciate the league doing it. The fever organization has been at the forefront of it since, really day one, what they are doing. Hopefully we leave it up to them to find something and take the right action if that is the case.”
Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Chicago Sky Forward Angel Reese (5) Shake Hands before the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Published Pictures)
The fever conducted the sky, 93-58, and improved to 4-1 against Chicago, since Clark and Reese joined WNBA. The two teams play each other three times more this year, each of the next two taking place in Chicago at the United Center.
