Angel Reese, Chicago Sky Make Unfortunate WNBA History

(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky started their 2025 WNBA season off with a blowout loss to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever that featured an altercation between the two stars.

Clark earned a flagrant foul after a hard foul on Reese, who had just come down with an offensive rebound. While the former LSU star believes it was just a “basketball play” the officials had a different view.

“The foul on Clark met the criteria for Flagrant Foul 1, for wind up, impact, and follow through for the extension of the left hand to Reese’s back, which is deemed not a legitimate basketball play, and therefore deemed unnecessary contact.

After the foul, there is a physical taunt technical on [Aliyah] Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset,” an official said after the game.

Clark made it clear she didn’t think her foul was anything more than a basketball play, just like Reese.

“Let’s not make it something that it’s not,” she said. “It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion. It’s a take foul to put them at the free-throw line.

I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am.”

In their first game since the 93-58 loss, the Sky took the floor for a contest against reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty.

Chicago suffered another blowout loss as Reese failed to make a shot from the field with her only two points in the game coming on 2-of-6 shooting from the free throw line.

In the end, the Sky lost 99-74 and made unfortunate WNBA history in the process.

“Tough start to 2025 in Chicago: The Sky’s -60 point differential this season is the worst through the first two games of a season in WNBA history. They’ll head back on the road in search of their first win, starting with a meeting Sunday versus L.A,” WNBA reporter Alexa Phillipou said.

Chicago will get two days off before its next game against the Los Angeles Sparks (1-2) on May 25.