2025 has already been a success for W. Whether it was the drafts that saw some of the most promising names progress to the pros, or the preseason games seeing filled-up arenas, Cathy Engelbert & Co. is having a gala time. And what better than banking on a rivalry that has outdone every other attention-grabber? Well, Cathy & Co. took the leap and voila! The result was indeed a sold-out and heightened viewership. But it was also a small scuffle and mammoth-like reaction.

The match between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky took a grave turn during the third quarter of the match. Just when Rebecca Allen missed the rim, Reese stepped in to capitalise on the rebound. And in doing so, she almost intuitively tried removing Aliyah Boston from her peripheral view. Immediately charging in a defensive tactic against Reese, Caitlin Clark seemingly pulled her arm, eventually sending her down. The emotions ran high. You could see the Chi-Town Barbie mouth a few words. Boston had to step in to ensure things wouldn’t escalate. But she needn’t have worried. Because Clark was already on her way towards the quieter side.

It was on-court competitiveness, and the reigning ROTY wanted to put a stop there. “Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that,” Reese had conveyed, too. But regardless of their remarks, it snowballed into something greater– threats, heavy trolling, and the league’s intervention. But there’s another twist in the tale.

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Here is an investigation going on because there have been hateful fan comments supposedly directed towards Angel Reese. And there were things going on in the arena where now the narrative is back that we heard all last season,” national analyst, Rachel DeMita said in her latest video. “The narrative is back that Indiana is not a safe place to play because the fans there are terrible, they’re rac-st, they scream slurs during the game.“

Just one weekend into the 2025 regular season and a popular narrative against the Fever is making rounds on social media. It declares the Indiana Fever team to be unsafe. It was an issue the franchise battled with last season. Alyssa Thomas had made that very clear. “I think in my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments (like I have) from the Indiana Fever fan base,” she had to admit. This season, the matters have only gotten worse.

It was Angel Reese hinting at a similar stance following the whole matter. The Chicago Sky star shared a TikTok that spoke about how Indiana has become an unsafe space for the ROTY runner-up. But unfortunately, the hate is massive. Because it isn’t only directed towards Reese. Clark is on the receiving end of some of it, too.

In the recent wake of events, the fans have launched a bizarre petition to send Caitlin Clark to jail for her recent actions. “There is a petition for Caitlyn Clark to be arrested,” DeMita began. “I’m not joking when I say this. Arrested- this is something that has also gone viral on social media and I’m only bringing this up because the WNBA pays attention to what’s going on on social media.” 

Spreading like wildfire online, the arrest petition charges Clark of inflating her statistics instead of revealing her true numbers to the public. This means only one thing. That Caitlin Clark’s stats are false and have been misguiding the public.

Moreover, for one, the matter did not end here. Beside the incident with Reese, the hateful fan comments were quick to point that Clark was the reason that Dave Portnoy won a whopping $350,000 profit from a bet worth $25,000. For context, he had bet Clark would record a triple-double during the season opener, and she did. This was also the reason that several people launched a petition against the owner of Barstool Sports. The fans want him banned from all NBA and WNBA-related games, with several people mailing the request directly to the W.

While the association has been on an investigative spree owing to online comments against Reese, will they do something about this? Only time will tell. For now, a focus on the game is the need of the hour. Because as Rachel notes, the insistent drama is only going to drive away the interest.

Caitlin Clark leads the MVP race

This year started on a positive note for the powerhouse of Indiana Fever. Despite an ugly physical altercation in the season opener, Clark managed an impressive triple-double, along with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against Chicago Sky. Additionally, she even contributed four blocks and four three-pointers to lead the team’s dominant win.

The 2024 ROTY even helped DeWanna Bonner achieve a historic win on the home ground. Despite the W GMs not considering her as an active title holder, betting websites tell a different story. 

According to MVP betting odds published by BetMGM, the Fever sensation is leading the votes with +195 odds. Yes, Caitlin is the topmost contender in the running for the MVP title. Having said that, DraftKings also predicted Clark as an MVP. With approximately 23% bets in her favour, the majority of voters aim for Clark to win the title. And why not!?

With an impressive 36-foot three-pointer from beyond the arc in the preseason, and 16-point contribution against Brazil, Clark was a spectacle. Not to forget a sweet sweep of 13 points against the Atlanta Dream. And starting the season with such an impactful beginning, fans and analysts can see how Clark is clearly progressing towards the MVP crown this year.