Chicago Sky rookie forward Angel Reese deleted a social media post, which referenced the league’s new policy on charter flights, as well as attendance. Many viewed Reese’s post as a veiled shot at Caitlin Clark.
After the Sky’s 90–81 victory over the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Reese, who had 13 points and nine rebounds in the win, took to social media.
“And that’s one getting a WIN in a packed area, not just cause of one player on our charter flight,” Reese said in a now-deleted post on X.
When Clark visited Barclays Center to take on the Liberty last weekend, 17,735 fans showed up. Last night’s attendance, with Reese in town against the Liberty, was listed at 12,049.
It is unknown if Reese was directing her comment at Clark of the Indiana Fever or Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who said that WNBA veterans should be glad people are watching because of Clark. The league’s players, for years, had complained about flying commercial to get to road destinations.
LeBron James, Barkley, and ESPN’s Elle Duncan, among others, have had their points on Clark entering the league.
Television ratings for each of Clark’s games have been strong, with her debut against the Connecticut Sun setting a new ESPN viewership record for a WNBA broadcast. The Fever’s game against the Liberty peaked at nearly two million viewers and was the most-viewed WNBA game ever on ABC.
Reese and Clark history
The two college rivals got the nation’s attention in the 2023 national championship game between LSU and Iowa when Reese mocked Clark’s “You Can’t See Me” gesture made popular by former WWE star John Cena. Reese also flashed and pointed to her ring finger as the Tigers celebrated their first national title with the 102-85 victory.
Reese said the taunts after the game were because Clark “disrespected” her LSU teammate Alexis Morris.
“But I don’t take disrespect lightly. She disrespected Alexis (Moore) and my girls, South Carolina, they’re still my SEC girls too, and y’all not gonna disrespect them either,” Reese said.
Clark later said that Reese shouldn’t receive backlash for the taunts.
In a March NCAA Tournament rematch, Iowa beat LSU 94-86 in the Elite Eight behind Clark’s 41 points, denying the Tigers a chance at back-to-back titles.
“Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It’s just a super competitive game,” Reese told reporters ahead of the 2024 showdown.
“Once I get between those lines, there’s no friends. I have plenty of friends on the court that I talk to outside of the game, but like when I get between those lines, we’re not friends,” Reese said. “We’re not buddies. I’m going to talk trash to you. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game we can kick it. I don’t think people really realize that.
“That’s fine. I’ll take the villain role. I’ll take the hit for it. But I know we’re growing women’s basketball. If this is the way we’re going to do it, then this is the way we’re going to do it. You either like it or you don’t.”
After the loss, Reese said she had been receiving death threats over the past. Clark’s Iowa squad went on to lose in the national title game to South Carolina.
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