This is a rivalry. No matter how much Angel Reese downplays. No matter how many times Caitlin Clark ducks and says “we’re good.” That ‘You can’t see me’ gesture from college? Yes, still living rent-free in everyone’s head. If you’ve been following these two from LSU vs Iowa to now the W, you already know what we’re talking about. And just when we thought this season might not spiral into another Reese vs Clark saga…well, first game in and the answer’s a hard no. 

The season opener for both teams, scheduled in that late afternoon ABC window on a Saturday… that couldn’t have been a coincidence, right? The league knew what it was doing. This was the matchup everyone had circled. And when it finally tipped off, it gave exactly what we all were secretly hoping for. Through the third quarter, the tension started bubbling. Clark had already blocked Reese and ripped a rebound from her hands as the Fever built up a strong 14-point lead. You could feel the heat rising.

Then came the moment. 

Reese was battling under the rim with Natasha Howard, and in classic Angel fashion, she muscled her way in, snagged the rebound, and started resetting for the bucket. Then Clark slides in, reaches across, and bam, Reese hits the floor. Now Clark just walks off, all casual, but Reese had something to say. She said it out loud. 

Aliyah Boston had to literally step in to cool it down. She grabbed Chi-Town Barbie near the shoulder to keep her from going after Clark. Refs huddled up, and here’s how it shook out – flagrant one on Caitlin Clark, techs on both Reese and Boston. But postgame, Reese was cool as ever. “Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on,” she said, like it was just another day at the office. Well, that’s been her whole vibe lately. Just a few days ago, when someone brought up her old Clark comments, she hit them with a “next question.”

Meanwhile, Clark definitely wasn’t vibing with that flagrant call. “It was just a good play on the basketball… shouldn’t have been upgraded,” she said. She clearly wasn’t too happy about it. But crew chief Roy Gulbeyan cleared on X with a full play-by-play. 

Per him, Boston got hit with a “physical taunt technical” just for stepping in to cool things down. Reese got a “verbal technical.” So basically… techs canceled each other out. But Clark’s foul stayed. Gulbeyan said it met the full flagrant 1 checklist – “wind-up, impact, and follow-through,” especially that left-hand jab to Reese’s back. 

Still, Clark didn’t let it snowball. “Let’s not make it anything that it’s not,” she said, interrupting Boston mid-question after hearing AB got a tech. With this, the Indiana Fever has officially put the WNBA on notice. They just steamrolled Chicago 93–58. The 2024 RoTY showed all the way out while Fever vet DeWanna Bonner made her own slice of WNBA history. As for the Sky, Reese did what she could. Led the team with 12 points and a beastly 17 rebounds. But that offense just couldn’t click. Not their day. 

And obviously, Clark made history. 

Caitlin Clark kicks off season with a triple-double for the history books

While all the drama played out, let’s not lose sight of the fact that Caitlin Clark cooked. Fever took an early lead and never gave it up, cruising to a win. It was a total team effort, but Clark stole the show. Again. In just the first game of the season, she reminded everyone exactly who she is. 

She finished with 20 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. That stat line? It’s never been done before in the history of the WNBA. According to @StatMamba on X, no player has ever put up those exact numbers in a single game since the league started in 1997. But that just wasn’t it.

You must remember she recorded her first triple-double as a rookie in July last year. Then she got her second in September. Now, in her very first game of the 2025 season, she’s already added number three. That ties her for the third-most career triple-doubles in league history. Even crazier, she’s got the most triple-doubles ever through a player’s first 41 games. 

But are we surprised? Not really. Clark has been breaking records since she stepped into the league. It’s almost expected at this point. But even with all the hype around her, she somehow keeps finding new ways to impress. Right now, she is heading into her second season in the WNBA with virtually unrealistic expectations as she is the favorite to win the WNBA MVP, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. 

With the way her team is shaping up, the Fever are starting to look like real contenders for a deep playoff run – maybe even a shot at the title. And Clark is looking solid to make a case for MVP.  For now, one game in, and we’ve already got drama, records, and a whole lot of excitement. If this is how the WNBA is kicking off the season, we really can’t wait to see what’s next.