"She was the one waving in their face" - Stephen A. Smith pours gasoline on Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark feud with fiery take

Caitlin Clark was involved in a heated altercation during Tuesday night's WNBA Commissioner's Cup game between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun. Clark was poked in the eye by Jacy Sheldon and then pushed to the ground by Marina Mabrey in one of many incidents in the second half.

On Wednesday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith, Monica McNutt and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo discussed the various altercations that led to three ejections.

Smith claimed that some players have a resentment toward Clark, whom he said was instigating it. The analyst referenced a taunt from Clark during the 2023 NCAA tournament, which Angel Reese used after LSU beat Iowa, an incident that may have sparked the rivalry between the two players.

"Caitlin Clark being that golden goose per se, that rising tide, that's lifting all boats, I stand by my past proclamations that there's resentment towards her," Smith said.

"But I want to take it a step further, there's also resentment towards her because she instigates resentment towards her sometimes. ... The whole Angel Reese thing with her started because when Caitlin was giving it to everybody else, she was the one waving in their face."

While the taunt made headlines at the time, it was later established that Caitlin Clark was directing it at one of Iowa’s assistant coaches and not at her opponents. Hailey Van Lith, who was one of the perceived victims of the taunt when she was at Louisville, defended Clark and confirmed she wasn’t the target of the gesture.

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Caitlin Clark appeared annoyed during Tuesday's postgame press conference

Caitlin Clark appeared annoyed during Tuesday's postgame press conference. (Photo: IMAGN)

Following the Indiana Fever's 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun, Fever coach Stephanie White, Caitlin Clark and Natasha Howard spoke to the media. The press conference opened with a question about the incidents, which seemingly annoyed Clark.

White stepped in and answered queries about the scuffle, ejections and technical foul calls. The coach criticized the officials for failing to maintain control of the game and allowing the physicality to escalate. Clark then urged reporters to focus on basketball and the Fever’s quest to win the WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

"I mean, you guys came for basketball," Clark said. "Let's talk about basketball, come on now. ... We're going to the Commissioner's Cup Championship (game). That's pretty exciting. You all want to talk about that? Let's talk about that."

The Fever will take on the defending champion, the Minnesota Lynx, in the final on July 1.