

The Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry added another fiery chapter over the weekend, and now WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes is joining the conversation.
In a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, the four-time WNBA champion offered her unfiltered thoughts on Clark‘s controversial flagrant foul and, more notably, how she reacted in the moments afterward.
The incident occurred late in the third quarter of Saturday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. As Reese drove into the paint, Clark delivered a hard swat at the ball, catching Reese’s arm and sending her to the floor.
Officials reviewed the play and ruled it a flagrant foul, igniting a social media storm and reigniting a rivalry that has followed both players from college into the pros.
Game Recap: Sky vs. Fever (5/17/25)
Clark’s post-foul reaction is what really disappointed Swoopes
Speaking on the show, Swoopes acknowledged the competitive nature of the league and said she understood the instinct behind the hard foul.
“You’re going to foul somebody… I was always taught you don’t give up an easy basket,” Swoopes said. “And that’s what I thought Caitlin did.”
But for Swoopes, the play wasn’t the issue-it was the aftermath.
“My thing with that was – stand in it. Don’t walk away,” she continued, referencing how Clark turned her back on the situation instead of addressing it head-on. “I didn’t have a problem with the foul. I got issues with all the other stuff.
“I also have always been taught when I played – go grab your own teammate, don’t come grab my teammate.”
The flagrant foul itself may have been standard basketball, but the optics of walking away while teammates do the emotional heavy lifting haven’t sat well with some fans and former players.
This isn’t the first time a hard foul between these two stars has sparked broader conversations about rivalry, respect, and perception.
From their epic college battles – most notably LSU’s 2023 national championship win over Clark‘s Iowa squad – to their transition into WNBA stardom, Clark and Reese have been inextricably linked, both on and off the court.
Saturday’s game saw Clark finish with a dominant triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), while Reese notched a gritty double-double of her own with 12 points and 17 rebounds.
Despite the Fever‘s 93-58 blowout win, the headlines were again dominated by the drama between the two rookies – and by how quickly that drama went viral.
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