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There are eyes on the WNBA like never before, with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Chennedy Carter at the center of court drama. Things heated up during the Saturday, June 1st game between Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever when Carter shoulder-shot Clark, knocking the rookie to the floor before an inbound pass during the third quarter. The Fevers ended up taking the win 71-70, and the WNBA upgraded the foul to a flagrant 1 violation after reviewing the play.
On Monday, Chicago’s coach Teresa Weatherspoon issued a statement, explaining she talked to Chennedy, who will “learn” from the incident.
“Physical play, intensity, and a competitive spirit are hallmarks of Chicago Sky basketball. Chennedy got caught up in the heat of the moment to win the game,” Weatherspoon wrote.
“She and I have discussed what happened and that it was not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are. Chennedy understands that there are better ways to handle situations on the court, and she will learn from this, as we all will,” the statement continued.
However, the situation has led to a debate on social media, with people taking sides. Despite their coach’s statement, Reese said she stands with her teammate. The forward also found herself in trouble Saturday when she did not make herself available to media after the game, which resulted in a $1000 fine for herself and a $5000 fine for the team for failing to ensure that all players comply with league media policies.
On Monday, speaking to the media, Reese acknowledged the negative things that have been said about her, saying she’s happy to take the role of “bad guy.” “Because look where women’s basketball is. People are talking about women’s basketball that you never would think would be,” she said, per DailyMail. “People are pulling up to games, we have celebrities coming to games, sold out arenas. Just because of one single game. And just looking at that - I’ll take that role. I’ll take the bad guy role and I’ll continue to take that on and be that for my teammates.”
People have credited Clark as a reason why the WNBA has so many viewers, but Reese knows she’s to thank too. “‘I know I’ll go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person. It’s because of me, too,’” she said.
She went on to defend Carter, saying it was just part of the competition. “Me and Chennedy are super competitive,” she said. “Just having that competitive edge. I love my teammates, and I’ll always going to have their back. So it was just competition.”
Despite all the hullabaloo, even Clark, who has also had some very physical moments on the court, seemed to see it as all part of the game. “It is what it is. It’s a physical game. Go make the free throw and execute on offense, and I feel like that’s kind of what we did,“ Clark said after the game. “I grew up playing basketball with the boys. It’s always been physical and feisty, and you have to find a way to hold your own,” the #1 select for the Indiana Fever continued.