Last year, Angel Reese applauded from the sidelines when Caitlin Clark hit the floor following a rough foul. While their game was expected to be physical yet again, the roles were reversed this time, with Clark playing the instigator. One thing’s for sure, though. Real or not, the saga of this rivalry only continues to grow. However, this time, it seems like there might be a silver lining to look at for Reese and Co. Honestly, it had always been there, but Coach Marsh acted as a messenger, trying to make sure no roadblocks come into the way of this rebuilding team. 

The viral incident came in the third quarter, after Angel Reese appeared to push Natasha Howard across the back before securing the rebound. Reese was about to score an open layup when Clark committed an intentional foul and appeared to push Reese towards the end. The moment caused mayhem, with Reese getting right back up and going after Clark, who proceeded to head away from trouble and towards her bench. The way AP News said it caught the reason behind Reese’s anger the best. As per them, Clark pushed “Reese’s arm hard enough to jar the ball loose and knock Reese to floor.”

An unlikely part of this scuffle, though, was Aliyah Boston. Boston stepped in to protect her point guard when Reese got up in a hurry to go after Clark. For her involvement, Aliyah received a technical alongside Angel Reese. Something the Fever forward wasn’t aware of till after the game ended, when her comments sparked laughter in the press conference room. “Wait AB got the tech?! I got the tech? I didn’t know that,” she said. And while Clark displayed her appreciation towards Boston for “having her back” by promising to pay her fine, Sky coach Tyler Marsh also made sure to display a united front, speaking in support of his star.

“ I think Angel reacted in a way that any of us would react in a moment like that. For her and for us, it’s the understanding that we are all in this together.” Marsh said, “We got her back in that locker room and on this coaching staff, and it’ll continue to be that way throughout the season.” With the coach and player both not beating around the bush, one thing is clear: their focus in the Sky locker room. It appears Marsh does not want there to be unnecessary noise around his team and have it contribute to the pressure that is already there. 

Upon review, Clark’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1, and while Caitlin was visibly shocked, Crew Chief Roy Gulbeyan later explained how the contact itself was enough. “Okay, the foul on Clark met the criteria for Flagrant Foul 1,” Gulbeyan said. “For wind up, impact, and follow through for the extension of the left hand to Reese’s back, which is deemed not a legitimate basketball play, and therefore deemed unnecessary contact”. 

While Reese provided a diplomatic comment, calling it a “basketball play,” despite her flaring emotions at the time, Clark’s description seemed to include a sly dig towards the Sky star. “Either Angel gets wide open two points or, you know, we send them to the free-throw line, nothing malicious about it. It’s just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that,” she said.

Sadly, tempers have begun to flare again at a time when everything seemed to be going back to normal.

Is the rivalry real or not?

For months, the prevailing narrative surrounding the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese dynamic was that the much-hyped rivalry was largely a media creation, not a reflection of genuine animosity between the players. Both athletes had even publicly attempted to steer the conversation away. But after the incident from their opening game, it’s hard to imagine the conversation dying down anytime soon.

Caitlin Clark, for instance, stated in a TIME interview last December, “We’re not best friends, by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another.” She added, “The only thing people cared about was this controversy that was really fabricated and made up, and then that has continued to be the case ever since.”

Reese, on her part, has been vocal, too. After the highly watched 2023 NCAA championship game in which Angel Reese’s LSU defeated Caitlin Clark’s Iowa, CC described herself as a fan of Angel Reese. This comment, made in the immediate aftermath of a high-stakes game, indicated a respect between the players that the WNBA appears to have managed to erode. She has echoed similar sentiments on multiple occasions, saying “it’s just competition” and that the two don’t share any hard feelings. She has also acknowledged the media’s role in the drama, saying, “Obviously social media is going to put two women against each other,” but maintained that the competition itself was positive for the sport. Before their meeting in the 2024 NCAA tournament, Reese also clarified that the rivalry was “not personal.” 

While Commissioner Cathy Engelbert would be delighted to see a spark to this storied rivalry, the rest of the league simply awaits the rematch. And while 8th June isn’t far away, it gives the Sky and Marsh some time to get used to this new system, which will make for a far competitive match than their opener.