The Chicago Sky and superstar rookie Angel Reese were hit with fines by the WNBA after the team’s loss to the Indiana Fever on June 1.
The league fined Reese $1,000 after she elected not to make herself available to the media following the game. The organization was also given a $5,000 fine because team members didn’t comply with postgame media availability rules, as reported by Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star.
The Fever won, 71-70, but the headline-grabbing moment from the game wasn’t its narrow conclusion, but the away-from-the-ball foul Sky guard Chennedy Carter put on Fever rookie Caitlin Clark at the end of the third quarter.
Initially, the foul wasn’t ruled a flagrant, but the league later reviewed the play and ruled it a Flagrant 1 foul, as reported by ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
More About Why Angel Reese, Sky Were Fined After Fever Game
WNBA updates following Caitlin Clark and Chennedy Carter incident:
———
• Carter has been assessed a flagrant 1.
• Angel Reese fined $1,000 for not appearing to media post game.
• Chicago sky fined 5,000 for players not complying with media mandates.
It seems likely that Reese refused to speak to the media after the loss at least in part to the likelihood she would have been barraged with questions about Clark.
Both Reese and Clark have been on-court rivals for years, dating back to their memorable collegiate showdowns. Reese, a former standout at LSU, won the national championship in 2023, beating Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the finals.
Clark and Iowa knocked Reese and LSU out of the championship tournament this year, just before both young stars entered the WNBA draft. Had Reese spoken to the media after Chicago’s loss, there’s no way Clark wouldn’t have been a primary topic of conversation. For one reason or another, Reese decided to skip it.
Carter’s foul on Clark during the game could also have repercussions down the line.
Per WNBA rules, players accumulate foul points over the course of the season that can result in a suspension.
In the WNBA, players aren’t fined for flagrant fouls, but they are handed out points depending on the severity of the fouls called against them. When players hit three or more points assessed via flagrants, they could be suspended.
Reese, Sky Settling in With 1st-Year Head Coach Teresa Weatherspoon
After falling to the Fever, the Sky sit with a 3-4 overall mark to start the season. Reese has led the team in rebounding in three games so far. She’s playing over 26 minutes a game and is averaging 10.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
“It’s been great,” Reese said about the start of her rookie campaign, via ESPN. “Just being able to affect the game in different ways, understanding the transition and just giving myself grace and being patient with everything. I’ve been able to have fun out there and grow every game.”
Reese is also thriving under first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon.
“[It’s been great] being able to work with [Weatherspoon] hands on,” Reese added. “So just being able to be patient, take time and being able to be ready and work every day [has been important].”
Weatherspoon, an Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer, was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (in 1997 and 1998) and a virtual assist machine during her playing days. She played with grit and doggedness, and she should bring those qualities out in her players, as well.
Chicago currently sits at eighth place in the WNBA standings heading into its June 4 matchup against the New York Liberty.
Comments
Angel Reese, Chicago Sky Hit With Fines After Showdown With Caitlin Clark, Fever