A record-setting performance by Angel Reese led to her bragging rights for Caitlin Clark as the Chicago Sky rallied to beat the Indiana Fever, 88-87, on Sunday.
Their third meeting comes after Indiana beat Chicago, 91-83, on June 16. Before that, the Fever beat the Sky, 71-70, on June 1 in the first WNBA meeting between the college rivals.
While both rookies played spectacular games in Chicago, the night belonged to Reese, who became the first WNBA rookie to have a double-double of more than 25 points and 15 rebounds since A’Ja Wilson.
On the other hand, Clark also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 13 assists and a franchise-high six rebounds.
The former LSU star scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead his team to victory. Additionally, Reese recorded his eighth consecutive double-double to add to the victory.
Angel Reese leads the Chicago Sky in a comeback victory over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever
Clark was 2-0 against Reese and the Sky entering Sunday’s game in Chicago.
“I’m a dog and you can’t teach that,” Reese said after the win. “I’m going to go out there and do whatever it takes to win every night.”
After a highly contested first half, Chicago trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter. However, Reese led the Fever’s comeback effort with ten points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter.
‘I try to give myself a little grace. “I’m very hard on myself,” Reese continued. ‘I mean, I’m happy we won. That’s the most important thing, but I have to get back to work, we have to get back to work and we have to work hard next game.’
The game went long as Chicago’s defense held Indiana to two points in the final minutes. But a three-pointer by Aliyah Boston brought the Fever within one point with less than 20 seconds left in regulation.
Reese is the first rookie to record a double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds since A’Ja Wilson
Clark recorded 17 points and a franchise-high 13 assists with six rebounds in his losing effort.
After a fight on the other side of the court, Chicago’s Marina Mabrey went to the line but missed both opportunities to put the nail in the coffin.
However, Chicago’s defense, particularly Kamilla Cardoso’s rebounding, became their saving grace as they maintained the narrow lead until the end.
While Cardoso produced a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, the victory became sweeter for Sky guard Chennedy Carter after scoring 22 points in 29 minutes.
Carter went viral for his infamous body check on Clark during their first meeting. In the weeks that followed, Reese and Carter accepted the antagonistic role assigned to them by their interaction with Clark.
Reese scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for his eighth consecutive double-double.
Clark and the Fever are now 7-11 this season, as the Sky moved ahead of them for eighth place.
Chennedy Carter helped Chicago to victory with 22 points in 29 minutes of play
“Chennedy and I have a different kind of relationship,” Reese said. ‘We’ve been through a lot of the same things. Many people have misconceptions about us. We understand each other, that’s why I love her.’
“She can get to me, I can get to her,” he continued. ‘She’s a dog too. She came out and did a lot for us tonight. This is a team effort and I am very happy for this team.
After facing each other in college, while playing for Iowa and LSU, the rivalry narrative followed Clark and Reese into the pros. After several verbal and social media jabs, the noise increased when Clark took a blatant 1 from Reese after punching her in the face during a layup.
When asked about their “budding rivalry” and his first win over Clark, Reese said, “It’s just a competition, I’m happy.”
‘I mean, they still have us. They gained a lead on us, so I’m happy for the team and I want to focus on us. “Chicago, they came out tonight, so I’m happy for us.”
After moving to a 6-9 record, Chicago edged out Indiana (7-11) for the final playoff spot as the eighth seed.
Unless they are on a collision course in the postseason, Clark and Reese’s rookie chapter closed today in one of the biggest-selling games in WNBA history.
