The rivalry WNBA fans have been anticipating between Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese grew stronger Sunday afternoon as the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky battled it out.
Individually, Clark added eight rebounds and nine assists on 7-for-11 shooting from the floor with 23 points. He started off hot for the Fever, making his first three shots and scoring seven points in the first quarter. It matched his scoring total against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday.
Angel Reese can’t beat foul trouble
Reese was limited by foul trouble and went to the bench with four men after picking up three in the third quarter. That included being called for a flagrant foul after hitting Clark in the head on a drive to the basket.
She drew her fifth foul midway through the fourth period, but Sky coach Teresa Witherspoon put Reese back into the game as the Fever held a five-point lead.
Foul trouble stalled what looked to be a good game for Reese, who led Sky with nine points at halftime. He finished with 11 points, a team-high 13 rebounds and five assists.
Marina Mabrey led Chicago with 22 points, while Cennedy Carter had 18 and Dana Evans finished with 12. Camila Cardoso scored 10 and grabbed 10 boards, helping the Sky solidify their early advantage over Indiana.
Aaliyah Boston eventually won her match against Camila Cardoz
However, Aaliyah Boston and Nalisa Smith took control in the second half. Boston, in particular, played a good two-player game with Clarke getting the better of his former South Carolina teammate Cardoso in their individual matchup as the game progressed. He finished with 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Fever, while Smith added 15 with seven rebounds.
Kelsey Mitchell was a key factor for Indiana in the second half as Clark and Boston drew more defensive attention. He scored 17 points in the game. And Katie Lou Samuelson was 3-for-4 from three-point range, giving her nine points.
The sky is falling
Sunday’s loss to the Fever was the Sky’s fourth in a row, dropping them to 4-9 this season and now behind Indiana (5-10) in the Eastern Conference. After Friday’s loss to the Washington Mystics, Witherspoon was asked if that was the case Considers a change in starting order But she eventually walked out of her press conference, saying she hadn’t thought about it.
however, A new line took the floor Carter and Lindsay Allen took over for Evans and Diamond DeShields on Sunday. The change suited Carter, but Allen scored only two points.
Here’s how Sunday afternoon’s match unfolded:
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Kelsey Mitchell made her second free throw in the 91-83 victory for the Fever.
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Alia Boston beat the shot clock in the paint to give Indiana an 86–81 lead.
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Caitlin Clark hit a big 3 to give the Fever an 84–77 lead with 3 minutes left.
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Angel Reese was limited in the second half by foul trouble. Sky coach Teresa Witherspoon went back into the game with five men as the Fever lead by five points.
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Caitlin Clark found her rhythm in the third quarter. He now leads the Fever with 18 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
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Angel Reese picked up three fouls in the third quarter, his latest since checking Kaitlyn Clark on the wing. A 4-man bench is going into the game.
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Aliyah does a great job carrying the ball to Boston in the fever post. He scored 27 points against the Dream last Thursday and now has 13 points in the third quarter.
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Marina Mabrey started the second half hot for the Sky with 10 points in the third quarter. He has scored 18 runs in this game so far.
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Katie Lou Samuelson hit a three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left — her third of the game — to give the Fever a 47-43 halftime lead.
Samuelson and Kaitlyn Clark each scored nine points, while Kelsey Mitchell continued to lead Indiana with 10 points.
Angel Reese was Chicago’s leading scorer at the half with nine.
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Angel Reese fouls Indiana’s Nalisa Smith, who goes to the bench for three.
Camila Cardoso scored 10 and Reese 7 for Sky to dominate the boards.
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Fever coach Christy Sides openly argues that Chicago’s Isabelle Harrison committed an offensive foul (or trip) with a questionable challenge on Katie Lou Samuelson’s blocking foul. Indiana missed the challenge and was out of the first half.
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Some fumbles for the Fever on the final possession of the first quarter. The shot clock ran out while trying to decide who would shoot.
Sky leads 26–23 after 1.
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Dana Evans and Caitlin Clark exchange words after the issue. Stepping up is Sennady Carter.
Clues between Caitlin Clark and Dana Evans after Evans grabs Clark’s hand.
Evans is called for a foul and the two are quickly separated. pic.twitter.com/mkZomkSmlF
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) June 16, 2024
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Caitlin Clark is off to a good start, with 7 points on 3-for-3 shooting.
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Former South Carolina teammates Aaliyah Boston and Camila Cardoso may be the matchup to watch today.
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