After a competitive game, nothing separated the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream as they stood tied at 81-81 with seconds on the clock. That’s when Angel Reese caught the rebound and had the opportunity to make the game-winning layup. Yet, as she had done with seven minutes left in the first quarter when the score was 6-6, Reese missed the layup. As Reese acted out in frustration, Caitlin Clark’s reaction became an instant meme, and analyst Rachel DeMita couldn’t help but discuss the viral moment.
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“We have to talk about that meme. That was so funny… There’s this shot that has gone so viral of Caitlin Clark walking behind Angel Reese and kind of just smirking like Angel is obviously so frustrated. She missed that layup, and then Caitlin is in the back looking like an absolute menace,” DeMita revealed in the latest edition of the Courtside Club on her YouTube channel.
The final chaotic sequence started with Rhyne Howard throwing a Hail Mary three-pointer in an attempt to break the deadlock and win the game. Unfortunately, that shot missed, but the rebound specialist immediately recovered, only to miss what would’ve been the match-winning layup. Although Naz Hillmon took another shot at it, she also missed.
As her Atlanta teammates consoled Reese after she missed the crucial layup, the cameras caught Clark smirking at Reese from behind for a split second. Yet, that was enough to become an instant meme as fans shared screenshots and slo-mo footage of that exact moment.
DeMita also explained that she didn’t just find the viral moment funny but was also glad that the online discourse around it wasn’t lighthearted.
“This is just something fun and light and funny and a great meme.”
Unfortunately, almost every conversation about the WNBA has divided the fan base, whether it’s inconsistent officiating or Sophie Cunningham’s July 21 comments about trans athletes competing in women’s sports.
Yet, it wasn’t that long ago that Caitlin Clark found herself in the same position as Angel Reese. Ahead of putting together their current four-game win streak, Clark had the opportunity to seal the win against the Las Vegas Aces with two free throws.
However, the three-time All-Star missed both, sending the game to OT, where Vegas won 86-84. The 24-year-old Indiana Fever star was just as frustrated with herself and shouldered the blame for losing the game.
“Obviously, it just can’t happen. Those are free throws I usually make and certainly frustrating. Obviously, one of them gives us a two-possession lead and kind of caused my pain there, for sure, so that’s on me,” she told reporters in the post-game press conference.
Similarly, Angel Reese was aware of her poor shooting long before missing that potential game-winner. WNBA reporter Holly Rowe caught up with Reese during halftime to ask what the Dream forward thought about the first half.
“Yeah, I mean, I was playing like s— in the beginning,” responded Reese, making Rowe chuckle.
Reese indeed struggled with her shooting throughout the game. After 38 minutes on the hardwood, Reese had scored 15 points and went just 5-for-16 on field goals. While she had 14 rebounds and 6 assists, she also had 4 turnovers. So while Caitlin Clark smirking at Reese from behind went viral, it’s not surprising to see why Reese was so frustrated with her performance.