Caitlin Clark's Teammate Speaks Out Against Angel Reese Hate
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were paired with one another to begin the WNBA season, as the Indiana Fever hosted the Chicago Sky in front of a capacity crowd.
Clark committed a hard foul on Reese in the second half, and Reese rose to her feet quickly. The situation was diffused as Clark walked away, receiving a flagrant 1 foul.
Reese and Fever center Aliyah Boston both received technical fouls for their own issues with one another. Clark and Reese each regarded the foul as a basketball play and have elected to move on, but the discourse has not.
Some have criticized Reese for her reaction to the play, while others believe she is being made into a villain by Clark's massive fanbase.
"No type of hate is ever welcomed here. As a player you just have to stay strong and be able to call it out if something happens," Boston said, responding to the notion that Reese may have been subject to racist remarks from fans in the area on Saturday, per OutKick.
It's not the first time that Fever players have spoken out against hate and poor conduct from fans. Clark, Boston and others were at the forefront of the discussion last season, emphasizing the importance of the WNBA as a welcoming space for all.
The allegations have yet to be proven and Reese did not initiate them, but the WNBA is taking them seriously. The league announced that it would investigate what took place on Saturday in Indianapolis, a move that Clark supports.
“There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society,” Clark said, echoing the sentiment Boston shared regarding potential hate from spectators.
“I appreciate the league doing that (the investigation). I appreciate that the Fever organization has been at the forefront of that since day one. The investigation we’ll leave up to them to find anything and take the proper action if so.”
Clark and the Fever will remain at home for their next game against Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream, while Reese and the Chicago Sky will face the New York Liberty on Thursday in their home opener.