Caitlin Clark Breaks Her Silence On Alleged Racist Slurs Directed At Angel Reese During Sky-Fever Season Opener

It's been a long few days for Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese following their tense on-court interaction during their season opener on Saturday, May 17.

Following the Fever's dominant victory over Reese and the Chicago Sky, news began circulating about alleged racist remarks Fever fans directed at Reese inside Indiana's Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

A day later, the WNBA announced an investigation into allegations of racism directed at Angel Reese, and during an interview with ESPN, Clark stated that she supported the league's move.

To recap last Saturday's Sky-Fever matchup, Reese and Clark, two of the WNBA's most popular players, had a tense interaction after Clark committed a hard foul against Reese in the third quarter.

The interaction sparked widespread online conversation, with some social media users who attended the game alleging that some Fever fans directed racist remarks at Reese throughout the day.

The WNBA announced its plans to investigate the matter the following day, adding that racist language has "no place in our league or in society."

Clark echoed this sentiment during a practice session the week of May 19.

"There's no place for that in our game, there's no place for that in society," she said. "Certainly, we want every person who comes into our arena — whether player or fan — to have a great experience. I appreciate the league doing that [investigation]. I appreciate that the Fever organization has been at the forefront of that."

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart also commented on the situation, emphasizing that WNBA arenas should foster a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all players, regardless of which team fans are rooting for.

“There comes a line and as athletes and as fans, we have to make sure we continue to respect the space of one another so we can all be our best thing ever,” Stewart said.

She also noted that healthy rivalries are what sports are all about, adding, "That's the luxury of sports."

“That’s what sports is all about is having passionate fans behind you like we do at Liberty games, like they do here for the Yankees," she said.

While the on-court incident was heated, both Reese and Clark downplayed it during their post-game press conferences.

"Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on," Reese told reporters after the game, while Clark urged the media to "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.

Sheryl Swoopes, a former WNBA star who won four championships throughout her 12 seasons in the league, appeared on the "Gil's Arena" podcast on May 19 and reflected on the fiery interaction between Reese and Clark.

According to Swoopes, 54, she didn't have an issue with Clark's foul on Reese; however, she did take exception to her reaction afterward.

"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," she said.

But she didn't finish there.

Swoopes also expressed frustration with Clark's teammate, Aliyah Boston, regarding her involvement in the tense moment that resulted in her receiving a technical foul.

"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."

The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky are set to face off four more times this WNBA season, with their next matchup occurring at the United Center in Chicago on June 7, 2025.