Caitlin Clark Says 'Nothing Malicious' About Flagrant Foul on Angel Reese in Fever-Sky

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark said there was "nothing malicious" about her flagrant foul against the Chicago Sky's Angel Reese late in the third quarter of Saturday's season-opening win.

"It's just a good take foul. Either Angel gets a wide-open two points, or we send them to the free-throw line," Clark said on the ABC broadcast. "Nothing malicious about it. It's just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that."

When asked about the play in the Sky's post-game press conference, Reese answered, "Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on."

Crew chief Roy Gulbeyan also explained why a flagrant 1 was assessed to Clark while speaking with pool reporter Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star after the game:

The Fever ultimately claimed a 93-58 victory over the visiting Sky.

Clark finished out the Fever win with her third career triple-double by recording 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while adding four blocks and two steals.

Reese, who contributed 12 points, led the Sky with 17 rebounds in just 25 minutes on the court in her first regular-season WNBA action since last year's season-ending wrist surgery.

Clark committed the foul with 4:38 left on the third-period block. After review, officials ultimately granted a Flagrant 1 foul to Clark and offsetting technicals to Reese and Aliyah Boston, who jumped in between Clark and Reese on the play.

Boston couldn't believe she got a tech while speaking to reporters after the game:

The call represented the third personal foul of Clark's WNBA career. Reese made one of the two free throws she was granted following the play.

Clark and Reese have been competing against one another since Reese's LSU faced Clark's Iowa in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2023 and 2024.

The two second-year WNBA stars are set to match up five more times this season, starting with Commissioner's Cup action on June 7 in Chicago.