Caitlin Clark was smacked on the head by Angel Reese and subjected to more rough treatment by her Chicago Sky rivals on Sunday, causing Dave Portnoy to lead the outrage.
Clark and the Indiana Fever played Chicago on Sunday for the first time since the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft was brutally bodychecked by Chennedy Carter earlier this month.
The Fever won that first meeting 71-70 on June 1 but the game was overshadowed by Sky guard Carter’s hip-check foul on Clark before an inbounds play.
The bodycheck, and Carter’s stated lack of regret for it, ignited several days of social media controversy that divided fans and led to accusations of racism from both sides.
Clark and Indiana were once again victorious in their second meeting, winning 91-83 on Sunday thanks to 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds from their rookie sensation.
(L-R) Angel Reese, Dana Evans and Chennedy Carter all clashed with Caitlin Clark on Sunday
Clark stood firm and was once again sublime on the court as the Fever beat the Sky again
Angel Reese smacked Caitlin Clark in the head as she was targeted by more rough play
Earlier, Chennedy Carter and her Sky teammate Dana Evans combined to foul Clark
Evans pinned back Clark’s arm as she tried to shoot while Carter held onto her after releasing
Reverse angle clearly shows Clark being fouled as she dribbled towards the hoop early on
Carter refused to let go of Clark’s arm and threw it up in the air before saying something to her
Barstool chief Dave Portnoy took to X to accuse the Chicago Sky of ‘doing Chicago Sky stuff’
But it didn’t take long for Clark to be targeted by Reese, Carter and their Sky teammate Dana Evans once again.
As Clark drove towards the basket in the first quarter, Evans snuck her arm through Clark’s and hooked and held her to stop her momentum.
But when Clark gestured to the referee for a foul, Evans threw her arm away from Clark and appeared to say something before smiling in the Fever star’s direction.
It promoted Barstool Sports chief Portnoy to post a clip of the play on X and write: ‘Chicago Sky doing Chicago Sky stuff’.
Then, in the third quarter, Clark was jumping for the basket when Reese smashed her in the side of the head.
The ball had already clearly gone beyond the former LSU player, who continued to hit Clark on the head with her forearm.
After the Reese foul, Portnoy posted: ‘Shocker. Angelo Reese and the Sky doing Angel Reese and Sky stuff. By the way Caitlin is cooking them.’
WNBA fans took to social media to agree with Portnoy that Reese fouled Clark on purpose
WNBA fans took to social media to agree with Portnoy.
One wrote: ‘Absolutely disgusting and dirty play that better lead to a suspension if the @WNBA wants to be taken seriously’.
Another commented: ‘Classic. When will the Caitlin haters realize she’s the best thing to happen to the league.’
‘Sky have become so unlikable so fast,’ another added.
‘Sooner or later she (Clark) will walk from the league and take up ice cube’s offer,’ another posted.
A fifth said: ‘The jealousy is off the charts. Their thuggery is going to ruin their league.’
Portnoy is a huge fan of Clark and recently ranted about her snub from the Olympics roster
Aliyah Boston had her third straight double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds as the Fever won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Kelsey Mitchell added 17 points and NaLyssa Smith had 15 as Indiana took a 2-0 lead in the season series.
Marina Mabrey scored 22 points to lead the Sky. Carter had 18 points while Reese finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Fans cheered Carter and Reese each time either drew a foul. Reese nearly lost her temper when she was called for No. 5. The refs assessed a delay of game warning when Reese threw the ball back and continued arguing as she walked up the court.
On the floor, though, it was another close contest.
Indiana built a 47-43 lead with a 12-6 run to close the first half. Marina Mabrey then scored eight points in a 12-4 spurt to open the second half to give the Sky a 55-51 lead.
The Fever charged back, taking a 58-57 lead on Clark’s three-pointer midway through the third and never trailed again. They opened up a 68-64 lead before Chicago scored the final basket of the quarter.
Indiana sealed it with a sequence that included Clark’s second 3 of the game, Boston’s short jumper, Smith’s layup and two free throws from Clark over the final 3:06.