Referee Explains Why Caitlin Clark's Foul on Angel Reese Was Upgraded to a Flagrant 1

Blake Silverman | May 17, 2025

Chicago Sky forward Reese reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Clark during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark received a Flagrant 1 following a hard foul on Angel Reese Saturday during the season opener for the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. Reese found herself near the basket without a defender in front of her, so Clark stepped in and committed a hard take foul to make Reese earn two points at the free-throw line.

Reese took exception to the foul and popped up and went at Clark, but Clark's co-star Aliyah Boston stepped in between to try and keep the situation from any further escalation. After the play was reviewed, the officials upgraded Clark's foul to a Flagrant 1 and gave offsetting technical fouls to Boston and Reese for the following ruckus. After the game, a referee explained why the crew came to that conclusion.

"Okay, the foul on Clark met the criteria for Flagrant Foul 1," Crew chief Roy Gulbeyan said to pool reporter Chloe Peterson of the Indy Star after the game. "For wind up, impact, and follow through for the extension of the left hand to Reese's back, which is deemed not a legitimate basketball play, and therefore deemed unnecessary contact. After the foul, there is a physical taunt technical on Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset."

Clark certainly disagrees with the official's decision, explaining the play as a "good take foul" to keep Reese from an easy, uncontested bucket at the hoop. She doubled down on that postgame, saying she wasn't sure what the refs saw to upgrade the foul, noting "that's up to their discretion."

Now everyone knows what the refs saw as they handed out additional fouls after the initial play. Indiana routed Chicago 93-58 as Clark recorded a triple-double. Reese had a 12-point, 17-rebound double-double in her first game of the season. The Fever and Sky next meet on June 7 in Chicago for some appointment television.

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