Caitlin Clark RAMMED By Chennedy Carter, NO FLAGRANT Called Or Review | Indiana Fever vs Chicago Sky!
Fever defeat Sky, 71–70 in first WNBA meeting between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark faced each other for the first time on a WNBA court on Saturday, but it was veteran Kelsey Mitchell who seized the spotlight in the Indiana Fever’s 71–70 win.
The seventh-year guard led Indiana with 18 points. Surprisingly, Mitchell went scoreless in the first quarter but picked it up in the second and fourth frames, becoming more aggressive going to the basket. NaLyssa Smith added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Fever, who won their second game of the season.
Chennedy Carter led the Sky with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting with six rebounds. The four-year veteran was a domineering presence on the floor, jawing at Fever players and checking them hard defensively.
Clark scored 11 points with eight rebounds, but struggled with her shot after hitting her first two three-pointers. She also had five turnovers, which continues to be a problem as Clark and her teammates learn each other’s tendencies on the court.
Reese finished with eight points, shooting 2-for-9 from the floor. But she made her presence felt defensively, especially when Clark ran through the lane.
Kamila Cardoso had a strong WNBA debut
Saturday’s matchup was the season debut for Cardoso, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft from national champion South Carolina. Playing against her former Gamecocks teammate Aliyah Boston, the 6-foot-7 center quickly established herself near the basket, scoring six points on 3-for-3 shooting.
The Fever had difficulty matching up with Cardoso in the post, yet got away from feeding her the ball after that impressive start. NaLyssa Smith scoring down low and tougher defense by Boston likely played a role in that.
Cardoso finished with 11 points and six rebounds, shooting 5-for-7 from the floor.
Sky got physical with Caitlin Clark
After Thursday’s loss to the Seattle Storm, Clark told reporters, “I feel like I’m getting hammered.” Opponents not getting called for fouls has contributed in part to Clark’s technical fouls. With three for the season, she is now nearly halfway to the seven techs that would draw an automatic one-game suspension under WNBA rules.
The Sky continued the strategy of roughing Clark up, checking her hard as she came through the lane and worked for position. Late in the third quarter, Carter knocked Clark down while waiting for an inbounds pass. She was called for a common foul on the play, but many thought it warranted a Flagrant 1.
The Fever next hit the road for a Sunday evening matchup with the New York Liberty. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET. The Sky host the Liberty on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on NBA TV.
CONFUSED Refs Don’t Know What’s Going On After Angel Reese Fouled! Chicago Sky vs Indiana Fever WNBA.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark blasted for ‘flop’ complaint against Chicago Sky
Many fans were unimpressed by Caitlin Clark trying to claim that the Chicago Sky flopped after she committed a third-quarter offensive foul, with TV commentators also disagreeing
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark mimed a flopping motion to referees after committing an offensive foul with 8:21 on the clock in the third quarter of Sunday’s one-point loss against the Chicago Sky. But ESPN’s TV commentary team immediately called it a “clear” violation and joked that she should instead use her arms as an air-circulating fan in an overheating arena.
Viewers online also felt Clark made a misstep by accusing the Sky of flopping, particularly as it’s something she’s been called out for in the past.
“Maybe it’s just me, but, if I’m Clark, im not doing the flop signal arms,” wrote one fan. “No reason to fan those flames. Take your whistle and get back on defense.”
Another added: “No Caitlin Clark did NOT try and call out a flop the way she been flying all over the court all season……….”
Clark isn’t shy toward referees, picking up a series of technical fouls earlier this campaign for jawing at officials and getting into several back-and-forths during the last NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday, the first-year pro didn’t pick up any fouls in the first half but briefly found herself in a sticky situation when she was whistled for three personals in a short period of time in the second half.
Caitlin Clark set a career-high in assists against the Chicago Sky on Sunday. (
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Otherwise, though, the Iowa product contributed at a high level for the Fever as she continued to adjust to the way WNBA defenses approach her. She surpassed 10 assists for the first time in her WNBA career – a mark that the 22-year-old regularly hit in college basketball.
Meanwhile, Clark continued to play a more efficient floor game than she did last month, shooting 5-of-11 from the field to keep her season percentage trending in a positive direction.
But after the Fever built a double-digit advantage early in the fourth quarter, Chicago fought back to tie the game inside the final three minutes behind Angel Reese’s ferocious offensive rebounding and inside scoring.
The Sky then took the lead as Reese and Chennedy Carter made clutch shots down the stretch. Despite missing several late free-throws, they held on to defeat Clark and Co., 88-87.
Clark finished with 17 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and four steals, playing every single minute of the game. Reese countered with a 25-point, 16-rebound effort that took her double-double streak to a rookie record eight consecutive outings.
“I’m a dawg, you can’t teach that,” Reese told ESPN on the court in a postgame interview. “I’m gonna go out and do whatever it takes to win every single night.
