After massive on-court outburst, Angel Reese downplays Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul - “Basketball play”

Angel Reese downplayed the hard foul committed by Caitlin Clark during their WNBA season opener on Saturday. Reese confronted Clark following the foul midway through the third quarter of the Indiana Fever's 93-58 win over the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

With 4:38 left in the third period, Reese got the offensive rebound and was about to go up for a shot at the rim when Clark checked the Sky star to knock the ball. Reese hit the deck and immediately went up to confront the Fever star.

When asked about the incident in the post-game press conference, Reese brushed it off with a blunt response.

"Basketball play, refs got it right, move on," Reese said.

Following a replay review, the referees assessed Clark with a flagrant one and technical fouls were issued to Reese and Fever's Aliyah Boston, who jumped in between the two stars. Reese went 1-for-2 on the bonus free throws.

In the in-game interview at the end of the third quarter with ESPN's Holly Rowe, Clark said nothing is "malicious" about her hard foul.

"It's just a good take foul," Clark said. "Either Angel gets wide open two points or we send them to the free-throw line. Nothing malicious about it. It's just a good take foul, every basketball player knows that."

Clark finished the game with a triple-double performance (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists), which was the third of her career. She also had a career-high four blocks. On the other hand, Angel Reese led Chicago with 12 points and 17 rebounds.

Caitlin Clark doubles down that flagrant foul on Angel Reese is not "malicious"

In the post-game press conference, Caitlin Clark doubled down on her comment that the flagrant foul on Angel Reese was not "malicious." A reporter asked about the issue surrounding Clark's flagrant foul.

"Let's not make it anything that it's not," Clark said. "It was just a good play on the basketball. I'm not sure what the refs saw to upgrade it, and that's up to their discretion after watching the initial whatever happened during the play and then whatever happened after.

"We watch a lot of basketball. It's a take foul to put them at the free-throw line, rather than give out two points. ... That's exactly what it was. I wasn't trying to do anything malicious. That's not the type of player I am. So, it wasn't anything like that, and I went for the ball, that's clear as day in the replay."

Clark playfully thanked Aliyah Boston for intervening. Boston, who was with Clark at the post-game conference, seemingly didn't know she got a technical foul.

The Indiana Fever will host the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, while Angel Reese's Chicago Sky will take on the defending champion New York Liberty on Thursday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.