It was the opening weekend in the WNBA and the league was poised to take full advantage of last year's success. Sure, they failed to break even as they have every year since inception, but there was a glimmer of hope. The league that has never turned a profit and is kept afloat by its NBA counterparts had a banner year in both ticket sales and TV viewership. The increased interest was largely credited to rookie phenom Caitlin Clark.
Clark quickly became the face of the league and the top target of her fellow players both on and off the court. The player's reaction to Clark eventually led her to apologize for her unacceptable whiteness. By the end of the season, those same players were quick to try and parlay the league's increased viewership into more money for themselves. Clark's top rival Angel Reese went so far as to threaten a player's strike if the league, which lost millions, didn't pay them more.
All of last year's unpleasantness was behind them and the WNBA was looking to build off of the positives of last year's record-breaking attendance. The opening weekend would feature a Saturday afternoon tilt between the league's premier rivals when Clark and the Indiana Fever hosted Reese and the Chicago Sky. The league had everything they wanted, a sell-out crowd, two of the game's most recognizable players Clark and Reese going head-to-head for a nationally televised audience on ESPN. The only thing the league needed for a perfect opening day in Indianapolis was a good game. What they got was a boring, one-sided blowout.
The Fever embarrassed the Sky 93-58 behind a triple-double by Clark (20-10-10). The game was never competitive or entertaining by any standard of professional sports. The only highlight-worthy play of the game came on a flagrant foul by Clark on Reese which led to a scrum between the teams.
Caitlin Clark received a flagrant foul on this play.
— ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025
Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese received offsetting technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/jzQYEW92TW
It was a hard foul and Clark added a push at the end of the play, but Reese flopped like she had just been hit by an NFL edge rusher. She jumped back up with her fists clenched and the players came together. It was the only fight the hapless Chicago team showed the entire game.
Did Angel Reese get hit by a dump truck? She flopped harder than Lebron.
— The Right Insight (@TRightInsight) May 17, 2025
Looks like Angel Reese tripped and got mad because she's so clumsy, then got mad because the crowd was laughing at her.
— Nick Flor 🥋+🇺🇸 (@ProfessorF) May 18, 2025
yeah 🤣
Angel Reese, when Caitlin Clark fouled her: https://t.co/lANLHOdNgy pic.twitter.com/pSULk76sgw
— Frank Ojeda (@UCLADodgerFrank) May 17, 2025
Turnabout is fair play and Clark was finally giving what she had been taking since coming into the league.
Angel Reese getting upset over this is so poetic, considering she clapped and cheered when Chennedy Carter pushed Clark down last year. 😂
— SmithBriniGrafLund (@2MINIHULK) May 17, 2025
Can dish it, but can't handle it.
This is a cheap shot foul, in case anyone wanted to see one. And angel up in the corner clapping. pic.twitter.com/YIh6OExHlK
— Chiefs Live News (@chiefslivenews) May 17, 2025
Reese reacted differently when she was on the receiving end.
Instead of worrying about Clark, she should focus on her own game.
This Caitlin Clark snatching the ball from Angel Reese clip after 2 missed layups gonna be generational pic.twitter.com/vyIXhMBCS4
— John (@iam_johnw) May 17, 2025
After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark. I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 17, 2025
The WNBA has the financial support of the NBA, network TV coverage, and a superstar to promote. All they have left to do to achieve legitimacy as a professional league is to put a good product on the court.
So far good basketball has eluded the lay-up league.
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