The WNBA season is officially underway, and it’s already delivering fireworks. Rivalries are the heartbeat of sports. They go beyond stats and championships—they’re about energy, emotion, and legacy. And in the WNBA right now, that spotlight’s shining on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Remember when Magic Johnson gave his view about the rivalry as well?  “Caitlin Clark and Angel are now doing the same thing, selling out arenas and increasing the viewership. They have taken women’s basketball by storm.” For months, analysts, reporters–even us at ES–tried to play down the talk of a rivalry. But after what we just saw? It’s clear this one’s starting to boil.

It all kicked off when Angel Reese grabbed an offensive rebound and Caitlin Clark swiped at her arm hard enough to knock the ball loose–and Reese to the floor. When Reese got up, she didn’t back down. She moved toward Clark, but Indiana center Aliyah Boston quickly stepped in to separate them. After a review, Clark’s third personal foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1, while both Boston and Reese were hit with technical fouls.

The flagrant foul, assessed under WNBA rules for unnecessary contact involving wind-up and follow-through, ignited debate among fans, some viewed it as a routine basketball play, while others perceived it as a personal affront

Both players downplayed the incident in the postgame press conference, agreeing it was just a basketball play.

But Fever head coach Stephanie White made one thing clear—this is the kind of toughness you can expect from Indiana moving forward.

The coach said, “Yeah, I mean, look–nobody’s going to get anything easy against us. You know, we’re going to be a tough defensive team. I thought it was a clear play on the ball as well. One of the points of emphasis for us is we can’t give up and-ones. Like, we can’t give up and-ones. So, you know, you’re going to feel us. But I thought it was a good play on the ball, and I am proud of this group.”

Caitlin Clark kicked off the season in style, notching the third triple-double of her career as the Indiana Fever cruised past the Chicago Sky 93-58 on Saturday. The reigning Rookie of the Year put up 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists—plus a career-high four blocks. Aliyah Boston chipped in with a dominant 19-point, 13-rebound, 5-block performance, while newcomer Natasha Howard added 15 points in her Fever debut. A performance like that? It’s only strengthening Indiana’s case as a serious title contender this season.

While the Fever’s performance on the court was nothing short of dominant, it was the heated moment between two rising rivals that stole the spotlight. Everyone had something to say, and now, the Indiana superstar has weighed in. Here’s what Caitlin Clark had to say about the incident.

Caitlin Clark talks about her foul against Angel Reese

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were on the same page about one thing after Saturday’s showdown: their on-court clash was nothing more than a basketball play. But beyond that, Clark let her game do most of the talking–as the scoreboard clearly showed. Still, she didn’t shy away from addressing the moment afterward.

“Let’s not make it something that it’s not,” Clark said.  “It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion. It’s a take foul to put them at the free-throw line. I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am.”

While these two just added another electric chapter to their growing rivalry, it brings up a question we keep circling back to–how long before they finally admit they see each other as rivals? With four more Fever-Sky matchups scheduled this season, including a June 7 rematch, this saga is far from over, and fans are already buzzing for what’s next. Maybe there’s too much mutual respect for them to say it out loud. But let’s be honest–the footage from last night paints a very different picture, doesn’t it?