Sheryl Swoopes Blasts Caitlin Clark For Reaction After Angel Reese Foul: 'Don't Walk Away'

WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes recently weighed in on the on-court incident between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark during the Chicago Sky's matchup against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 17.

The 4x WNBA champion took issue with Clark's reaction after she committed a hard foul on Reese during the third quarter of their highly anticipated first meeting of their sophomore seasons.

Appearing on the May 19 episode of "Gil's Arena," Swoopes, who played in the WNBA from 1997 to 2011, discussed Clark's flagrant foul during the Fever-Sky game last Saturday.

"I don't have an issue with the foul. I thought it was a hard foul, yep, I thought the refs got it right," Swoopes said. "My issue wasn't even with the foul. If you're going to foul somebody, I was always taught you don't give up an easy basket, period. And that's what I thought Caitlin did. My thing with that was, stand in it. Don't walk away."

During the third quarter of the game, Clark's foul against Reese caused tensions to rise in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, as Reese leaped from the floor and moved toward Clark, seemingly exchanging some choice words.

However, before Reese and Clark could come face-to-face, Clark had already begun walking away. Clark's teammate, Aliyah Boston, also intervened, stepping between them and appearing to shove Reese in the process.

"My other issue was ... I also have always been taught when I played, go grab your own teammate, don't come grab my teammate. So, where Aliyah Boston went over to Angel ... to me, you gotta get your own teammate," Swoopes said. "I didn't have a problem with the foul ... I got issues with all the other stuff that came along with that, not that foul."

During the teams' post-game conferences, both Reese and Clark addressed the foul, downplaying the incident and indicating a strong desire to move past the expected public reaction.

"Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on," Reese told reporters after the game.

Clark, speaking to the media alongside Boston, echoed those sentiments, adding, "Let's not make it anything that it's not."

"It was just a good play on the basketball. I'm not sure what the refs saw to upgrade it. That's up to their discretion ... I wasn't trying to do anything malicious. That's not the type of player I am," Clark added.

On social media, some attendees alleged that fans directed racist remarks toward Reese (who led her team in points and rebounds) during Saturday's game.

"Traveled from Chicago to Indy for the game today, and I will never be doing that again. The things I heard Fever fans screaming at Angel were nasty and blatantly racist. @IndianaFever, how much longer can you let this go on without addressing your harmful fan base?" a user wrote.

On X, formerly Twitter, the WNBA acknowledged the allegations of racist remarks made toward Reese during the game and condemned such behavior as unwelcome in their league.

"The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms," the league wrote in a statement. "They have no place in our league or in society."

They continued, "We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter."

The Indiana Fever also released a statement stating they were cooperating with the WNBA to provide a "safe environment for all WNBA players."

On Instagram, Reese's team, the Chicago Sky, shared a similar post, stating, "We welcome the WNBA's investigation of allegations of fan misconduct during our first game of the season. We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players, and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players."

Three days before the Sky-Fever game, the WNBA announced its new initiative — the "No Space For Hate" campaign. According to the league's official press release, the multi-dimensional platform is designed to combat hate and promote respect across the WNBA, from fan discourse on social media to in-arena behavior.

"As the WNBA continues to grow in popularity and influence, we're proud to launch 'No Space for Hate' — a league-wide initiative to better protect players, preserve the spirit of the game, and affirm the values of our league. We believe that basketball can be a unifying force — a place where people from all walks of life come together not just to watch a game, but to connect," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

She continued, "We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom — not hate and vitriol. That means turning our values into action: strengthening digital and physical security, expanding access to mental health resources, and unifying our message across the league. It's our responsibility to protect what makes this sport so special and ensure we continue to inspire the next generation of women's basketball fans."