Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky defeated the Indiana Fever 88-87 in a thrilling comeback in Chicago on Sunday.
Reese scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to become the first WNBA player to score 8 straight double-doubles.
Fever superstar Caitlin Clark finished with 17 points and a franchise record 13 assists.
According to ESPN, Clark tied the record for the most assists by a rookie in league history.
But Clark didn’t score after the 7:12 mark in the 4th quarter.
“I’m sure there was an opportunity or two for me to probably attempt another shot there at the end, but I trust my teammates,” Clark said in the post-game press conference. “Obviously, 13 assists, that means my teammates scored off of 13 of my passes. It’s a really great number, so I’m going to give them the ball every time and give them an opportunity to score.”
Reese, 22, won her first game against Clark since turning pro. But Clark holds a 2-1 record over Reese and scored 50 points to Reese’s 44 points in their last three matchups.
After struggling for 27 years, the WNBA is now a legitimate sports league – thanks to Clark’s influence and star power.
Many Fever games have been moved to larger venues to accommodate high demand for tickets to see Clark play.
Over 20,000 fans filled Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse to watch the Fever defeat the Sky 91-83 on June 16.
Only 9,872 seats were sold for Sunday’s Fever vs Sky game at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.
There’s no doubt that Clark’s star power has made her the league’s main attraction.
But rather than embrace Clark, WNBA players still view her as an outsider.
During a recent matchup between the Connecticut Sun and the Fever, Sun guard DiJonai Carrington #21 mocked Clark for allegedly flopping.
Carrington also made headlines for criticizing Clark and the WNBA’s new fans.
“Unfortunately for y’all new fans, we do not just ‘shut up and dribble’ here. Ya picked the wrong league,” Carrington tweeted earlier this month.
Carrington, who is in a relationship with Clark’s teammate NaLyssa Smith, is one of the many LGBTQ activist players who despise Clark for being straight.
Via The NY Post — “As the WNBA’s star rises, it’s become evident why the league had trouble growing in the first place: A very narrow culture — supported by players, longtime fans and even the media — that is as much about progressive politics as it is about hoops.”
Clark could put a stop to the bullying by speaking out and defending herself. But she refuses to make waves.
Just as she refused to be the hero in the final minutes of Sunday’s game because she probably feared the negativity that awaited her after the game.
Via The NY Post — “Sure, Clark is white and straight in a predominantly black and gay league. But the real issue is that she, unlike, say, fellow rookie Cameron Brink, hasn’t genuflected to the WNBA’s ultra-progressive politics and given a public soliloquy on her privilege.
The 22-year-old phenom only wants to bend a knee to the hoop gods — and drown out any and all noise.”
