Caitlin Clark opened the season with the third triple-double of her career, and the new-look Indiana Fever dominated the final 16:30 Saturday to pull away from the revamped Chicago Sky 93-58.
But the game was defined by the newest chapter in the Clark-Angel Reese rivalry. This time, it came on a hard foul from Clark across Reese’s arm, which jarred the ball loose and knocked Reese to the floor with 4:38 left in the third quarter. When Reese jumped up to confront Clark, Fever center Aliyah Boston stepped between the two players as Clark walked away from the skirmish.
The referees upgraded Clark’s foul to a flagrant 1 and assessed technical fouls to Reese and Boston following a replay review.
During an in-game interview with ESPN, Clark said there was “nothing malicious” about the foul.
“It’s just a good take foul,” Clark said. “You know, either Angel gets a wide open two points, or we send them to the free-throw line. Nothing malicious about it. It’s just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that.”
When Reese missed the first of two throws, Gainbridge Fieldhouse erupted in cheers. Reese made the second, though, and Courtney Vandersloot made a layup on the ensuing possession to cut the deficit to 56-45. But Indiana closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 65-45 lead. The Sky never really threatened Indiana’s lead.
Clark, last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while blocking a career-high four shots.
Boston added 19 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, while Natasha Howard scored 15 points in her Fever debut.
DeWanna Bonner also scored seven points to move into third on the WNBA’s career scoring last, passing Tina Thompson. Bonner now has 7,289 points.
Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds for the Sky, who lost three of four last season to Indiana. Ariel Atkins added 11 points.
Fever coach Stephanie White earned the first win of her second coaching tenure in her first game back in the state where she won Indiana’s 1994-95 Miss Basketball Award and led Purdue to the 1998-99 national championship.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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