The much-anticipated rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese took center stage on Sunday as the Indiana Fever outdueled the Chicago Sky, 91-83, in a fiercely contested game. Clark led the Fever with an impressive performance, scoring 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting, along with eight rebounds and nine assists. She started strong, making her first three shots and scoring seven points in the first quarter, matching her total from Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Dream.

The game saw controversy when Reese was called for a flagrant foul after hitting Clark in the head during a drive to the basket. This foul contributed to Reese’s foul trouble, limiting her impact in the second half. After the game, Reese disputed the call, asserting it was a legitimate attempt to block Clark’s shot. “It was a basketball play,” Reese argued, “I can’t control the refs. They affected the game a lot tonight.”

Despite the foul trouble, Reese managed to contribute 11 points, a team-high 13 rebounds, and five assists. However, her frustration was evident as she suggested that the officiating crew treated her and her teammates unfairly. Clark, on the other hand, downplayed the incident, focusing on the two free throws she made following the foul.

Chicago’s Marina Mabrey led her team with 22 points, supported by Chennedy Carter with 18 and Dana Evans with 12. Kamilla Cardoso also contributed with 10 points and 10 rebounds, initially helping the Sky establish a frontcourt advantage over Indiana. However, the Fever’s Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith turned the tide in the second half. Boston, in particular, excelled in her matchup against former South Carolina teammate Cardoso, finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Smith added 15 points and seven rebounds.

Kelsey Mitchell also played a crucial role for the Fever, scoring 17 points, and Katie Lou Samuelson shot 3-for-4 from three-point range, contributing nine points. The Fever’s victory marked their second win over the Sky this month, having previously defeated them 71-70 on June 1.

Sunday’s loss was the Sky’s fourth consecutive defeat, dropping them to 4–9 for the season, placing them behind the 5–10 Fever in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite a lineup change that saw Carter and Lindsay Allen starting in place of Evans and Diamond DeShields, the Sky couldn’t overcome the Fever’s dominance. Coach Witherspoon, who had been asked about potential lineup changes after Friday’s loss to the Washington Mystics, saw some improvement with Carter’s performance but acknowledged that further adjustments might be necessary moving forward.

The intense matchup between Clark and Reese, combined with the Fever’s strong second-half performance, made for an exciting game that highlighted the growing rivalry and competitiveness in the WNBA.