The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese appears to be alive and well after Sunday’s matchup between the two WNBA all-stars.
Clark’s Indiana Fever were in Atlanta to take on Reese’s Dream, and the game came down to a last-gasp effort that could’ve sealed the win for the hosts, but ultimately missed the mark.
With the game tied 81-81 and with a few seconds left on the clock, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard put up a three-pointer that was too short.
Reese corralled the errant attempt underneath the basket and quickly put up a shot of her own off the glass — which missed off the rim. Naz Hillmon grabbed the offensive rebound but her shot also missed as the buzzer sounded and sent the game to overtime.
How did Caitlin Clark react?
Indiana superstar Clark had been positioned on the opposite of the basket from Reese, who was being defended by Aliyah Boston during the play.
While Clark didn’t have an impact on the last-second play, she was caught on camera smiling and appearing to laugh while walking behind Reese, who obviously was dejected over her team’s failure to convert in the clutch.
It only got worse for Reese and the Dream, too, as the Fever ended up winning the game 95-91 in OT.
Clark had 26 points and nine assists to lead Indiana, which also got a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double from Boston.
Reese, despite the late missed putback, also had a solid game, posting 15 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.
Clark and Reese have been rivals since their college days, when they represented Iowa and LSU, respectively. During a tournament game in 2023, Reese went viral for taunting Clark. The Tigers forward first pointed at her ring finger while her team was on the verge of winning the NCAA national championship and also mimicked professional wrestler John Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” taunt.
While the pair reportedly aren’t close friends by any means, animosity between the two is kept to the count in the spirit of competition.
What’s next for Caitlin Clark?
Clark will now lead the Fever — which is on a four-game winning streak — north of the border to take on the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday night.
It’s a matchup that could prove to be a very lopsided one. Toronto has a record of 10-23 in its inaugural season and has lost 10 straight games.
Whether the Tempo will be able to keep up with Clark, Boston and heat-magnet Sophie Cunningham remains to be seen.