3x NBA All-Star Reacts to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Altercation

Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas had some interesting thoughts on the scuffle between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese

May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Saturday, May 17, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky, 93-58.Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-IndyStar via Imagn Images | Grace Smith-IndyStar via Imagn Images

The Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever squared off in the season opener in Indianapolis. The Fever dominated Chicago, but the storyline coming out of the game made the headlines.

Angel Reese was battling down low with Aliyah Boston when she shoved her out of the way to grab a rebound. In response, Caitlin Clark retaliated by fouling Reese and gave her a slight push as she fell. What is typically viewed as a hard common foul was later upgraded to a flagrant foul on Clark due to the shove following the initial foul on Reese.

Caitlin Clark assessed a flagrant-one on this play. Double tech on Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese — those fouls offset. pic.twitter.com/yPxoEW9wC3

— hank 🇰🇷 (@Brian_Haenchen) May 17, 2025

There has been a rivalry between the two players going back to their college days when Reese played at LSU and Clark played at Iowa, so this type of back-and-forth is not new.

While Reese was visibly upset at the foul and had to be held back, she then said after the game that it was a "basketball play" and that the "refs got it right."

Angel Reese: “Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on.” https://t.co/ATI8hmK9Bf pic.twitter.com/ZFLhA58WWZ

— hank 🇰🇷 (@Brian_Haenchen) May 17, 2025

On Gilbert Arenas' show "Gil's Arena," the former Memphis Grizzlies star discussed how Reese's foul seemed exaggerated and noted that Clark, being a guard, must foul harder to prevent a basket.

"But it's still body size...if I gotta try to foul him [Kenyon Martin] and stop him, my hit on him has to match his power, so if he's trying to go up for a dunk, I gotta really grab on him," Arenas exclaimed.

He also insinuated that the incident compares to how Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid acts when he is fouled, saying, "That's that Embiid flop. I'm trying to sell this foul."

"I didn’t have a problem with the foul... had Angel or anyone else done the exact same foul to Caitlin the storyline is different."

The @GilsArenaShow get heated over Caitlin Clark's flagrant foul on Angel Reese 👀 pic.twitter.com/A6uti3ge5l

— Underdog (@Underdog) May 19, 2025

Clark finished the game with a 20-point triple-double, and Angel Reese finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds. The Fever went on to crush the Sky to start 1-0. Two of the biggest stars in the WNBA, it clear that this rivalry isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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