Angel Reese received the first fine of her WNBA career, following a day of controversy surrounding her and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
On Saturday, the high-profile pair faced off for the first time in the WNBA, taking their college rivalry to the pros.
During the game, Clark was checked and pushed to the ground by Reese’s Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter, and former LSU icon Reese was seen jumping off the bench to celebrate the violent action.
Reese has now been fined, but not for his reaction to the on-court incident, even though it caused much controversy online.
Instead, she will have to pay the WNBA $1,000 for “not being available to the media for postgame interviews.”
Angel Reese received her first WNBA fine after failing to show up for interviews on Saturday
Caitlin Clark was inexplicably knocked to the ground by Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter.
Clark fell to the ground, but no Chicago Sky players wanted to talk about the incident.
That amount is unlikely to cause serious damage to Reese’s bank account, as the Sky rookie has already invested millions in endorsement deals during her time in college and now in the WNBA.
His salary, however, remains relatively low, with his rookie contract paying $324,383 over the next four years, an average annual salary of $81,096.
In addition to Reese’s fine, the Sky organization was fined $5,000 for “failing to ensure that all players comply with the WNBA’s media policies.”
Carter, the Sky player at the center of the on-court incident, spoke to the media but declined to comment and specifically told reporters she would not answer any questions about Clark.
Carter pushed Clark to the ground, and television replays appeared to show her yelling ‘bitch’ at Clark before tackling her rival.
Reese jumped and applauded after Carter’s brutal foul on Clark during Indiana-Chicago
It was a feisty match between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis.
After the game, Carter insisted that he not speak ill of Clark. But the guard resisted the invitation to talk about the incident.
“I’m not answering any questions from Caitlin Clark,” Carter said at the podium. ‘I don’t know what she said. I said nothing.’
It was not immediately clear how Clark had provoked Carter, if at all, before the Fever star fell to the ground.
Clark ended up having the last laugh: her team held on for a one-point victory and the 71-70 win was the team’s first home win of the season.
There were 15 seconds left on the clock in the third quarter and when time ran out, Clark gave his reaction to ESPN immediately afterward.
“That’s not a basketball play, but I have to play it, that’s what basketball at this level is all about,” he said.
