Angel Reese was slapped with her first WNBA fine after a day of controversy involving her and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. On Saturday, the two high-profile players faced each other for the first time in the WNBA, continuing their college rivalry, which took an ugly turn and went viral on social media.
During the game, Clark was shockingly bodychecked and shoved to the ground by Reese's Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter, with Reese seen celebrating the action from the bench. Despite the controversy online, Reese's fine is not for her reaction to the incident. Instead, she must pay the WNBA $1,000 for not making herself available for post-game interviews.
Fined for a Different Reason
The fine amount is unlikely to majorly impact Reese's finances, as the Sky rookie has already secured millions in sponsorship deals during her time in college and now in the WNBA.
Her salary remains relatively modest, with her rookie contract totaling $324,383 over the next four years, equating to an average annual salary of $81,096.
In addition to Reese's fine, the Sky organization has been fined $5,000 for failing to ensure that all players comply with WNBA media policies.
Regarding the on-court incident, Carter, the Sky player involved, did speak to the media but declined to comment on it, explicitly stating she would not answer any questions about Clark.
Carter shoved Clark to the ground, and television replays appeared to show her yelling 'you b***h' at Clark before the altercation.
Situation Still Heated
After the game, Carter maintained that she did not engage in trash talk with Clark. However, the guard declined invitations to discuss the incident further.
"I ain't answering no Caitlin Clark questions," Carter said at the podium. "I don't know what she said. I didn't say anything."
It wasn't immediately clear how Clark had provoked Carter, if at all, before the Fever star was knocked to the ground.
However, Clark ended up having the last laugh, as her team held on for a one-point win. The 71-70 win marked their first home win of the season.
With 15 seconds left on the clock in the third quarter, Clark provided her reaction to ESPN immediately after the game ended.
"That's just not a basketball play but I've got to play through it, that's what basketball is about at this level," she said.
