Angel Reese’s foul on Clark was this week’s WNBA talking point.
WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes took issue with the discourse every time Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is fouled and pointed to what happened Sunday with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.
Reese clocked Clark on the head while Clark was driving to the basket for a lay-up. Reese was given a foul, and it was upgraded to a flagrant-1. It kick-started a firestorm across social media.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, and Angel Reese, #5 of the Chicago Sky, look on during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Swoopes, who appeared on former NBA star Gilbert Arenas’ podcast “Gil’s Arena,” said fans and those talking about the WNBA cannot seem like Clark was assaulted.
“It’s the clip they wanna post because they’re gonna get all these likes and reposts, but that’s a basketball play,” Swoopes said of Reese’s foul. “She hit her on the head, so, of course, it should be upgraded to a flagrant-1 … Can we keep playing basketball?
“My thing is, every time Caitlin gets fouled we can’t make it seem like she was assaulted. Fouling is a part of basketball. You can look at a whole lot of different games and players and clips. … A’ja Wilson when they played Dallas, A’ja had a bloody nose, a black eye. Like, it’s basketball.”
Swoopes then pointed to both Reese and Clark, saying the foul was just a basketball play.
San Francisco mayor London Breed chats with basketball great Sheryl Swoopes, right, following a press conference to announce an expansion WNBA franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area at Chase Center in San Francisco on Oct. 5, 2023. (D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports)
“You go to social media and, ‘Oh my goodness she’s trying to take her out, she should be suspended,’ and who are you? And what did you do?”
Reese maintained there was nothing more to the Clark foul.
“I can’t control the refs, and they affected the game, obviously, a lot tonight,” Reese said after the game. “Y’all are probably going to play that clip like 20 times before Monday.”
“I think we went up really strong a lot of times and didn’t get a lot of calls,” Reese added. “Going back and looking, I’ve seen a lot of calls that weren’t made, I guess some people get a special whistle.”
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, warms up before a game against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
“It is what it is, you know, she’s trying to make a play on the ball and get the block,” Clark said. “I mean it happens and then those free throws when you have to shoot with nobody at the line are kind of hard. So I was just focusing on making those free throws.
News
Taylor Swift sings two diss tracks on nemesis Scooter Braun’s birthday… one day after he announced his retirement from music management
Taylor Swift fans are convinced she shaded her longtime nemesis, Scooter Braun, during her latest surprise acoustic song set on The Eras Tour on Tuesday night. While performing at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, the singer, 34, performed a mashup of her two…
11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Allegedly Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow
The last one is just downright odd. Kathy Hutchins / Sky Cinema / Shutterstock.com Among billionaires, Elon Musk is perhaps one of the most eccentric and well-known around the world. His merry band of supporters that worship his every move and defend…
Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s Tortured Relationship
Prince Charles and Diana’s engagement, turbulent marriage, and subsequent divorce captivated the world. Diana and Prince Charles in 1981. KYPROS/GETTY IMAGES. The story of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, is not that of star-crossed lovers. Continuously recounted in film, television, tell-all books,…
Kate Middleton photo controversy: New details show when the photo was edited
Kate issued an apology after news agencies retracted a royal family photo. Princess Kate apologizes amid family photo controversy ABC’s James Longman is at Buckingham Palace with the latest on the royal family. As the photo controversy around Kate Middleton continues to grow, new…
Is Kate and William’s relationship healthy? Body language expert weighs in
Expert reveals intimate moment between Kate and Wills The Prince and Princess of Wales at the Trooping the Color event.LAPRESSE Body language expert Judi James has offered her insights into the dynamic between Kate and Wills, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,…
Princess Diana conspiracy theories: Eight reasons people believe the crash in Paris wasn’t all it seems
More than 20 years on, conspiracy theories continue to rage – despite almost all of them being proven decisively wrong SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy On…
End of content
No more pages to load