CHICAGO — For the primary time of their professional careers, Angel Reese bought the win over Caitlin Clark.
Reese did so with among the finest performances but, scoring a career-high 25 factors and grabbing 16 rebounds to steer the Chicago Sky to an exciting 88-87 comeback victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday, regardless of 17 factors and a franchise-record 13 assists for Clark.
Reese recorded a double-double for the eighth consecutive sport, extending her WNBA rookie file, to assist Chicago overcome a 15-point second-half deficit and earn her first victory over the Fever and Clark as a professional. The Fever had gained the earlier two matchups this season, each in Indianapolis.
“That is what I do: I come out and carry out,” Reese stated after the sport. “I do what it takes to win each single day.”
Chicago ended the sport on a 31-15 run over the ultimate 11:25 powered by Reese, who had as many factors (15) and area targets (5) as Indiana throughout that span.
Reese grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled as she made the putback to tie the sport at 82 with three minutes remaining. Then, the Sky discovered Reese once more for a driving layup with 53 seconds remaining to place Chicago forward for good.
“She ran rather well in transition,” Clark stated of Reese. “She bought a pair and-1s in transition, clearly, she performed a extremely nice sport. I believe they positively knew to be bodily with us. I believe they in all probability watched [our last game] and noticed that we fouled them nonstop … 35 [free throws] … a crew like this you aren’t going to get away with that.”
In the meantime, Clark tied the file for many assists by a rookie in a double-double efficiency in league historical past, however she didn’t rating after the 7:12 mark within the fourth quarter and tried simply three photographs within the closing interval.
“I am certain there was a possibility or two for me to in all probability try one other shot there on the finish, however I belief my teammates,” Clark stated. “Clearly, 13 assists, meaning my teammates scored off of 13 of my passes. It is a actually nice quantity, so I will give them the ball each time and provides them a possibility to attain.”
Reese and Clark, two of the highest rookies on this yr’s WNBA class, have been intertwined due to their historical past in faculty. Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes misplaced to Reese and LSU within the 2023 nationwide championship sport, however avenged that defeat within the 2024 nationwide semifinals earlier than dropping to South Carolina within the title sport.
Each Clark and Reese downplayed the rivalry between their two groups getting into Sunday’s anticipated matchup. Nonetheless, the sport lived up the billing as one of many hottest tickets within the historical past of the WNBA.
Tickets to Sunday’s sport at Wintrust Area had been going for a median of $351, based on Vivid Seats. Celebrities in attendance included Chicago-area rappers Probability the Rapper and Lil Durk; actor/comic Jason Sudeikis; Knicks star Jalen Brunson; and Corridor of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, who shared an prolonged embrace with Reese after the sport — “she advised me she’s pleased with me,” Reese stated.
“It is good for the sport, good for girls’s basketball, but in addition good for girls’s sports activities,” Reese stated of the gang. “You see NBA gamers, rappers, legends that performed within the league for an ideal very long time come out and present assist. You already know everyone’s watching proper now.
“I believe this is among the most essential instances proper now, and we simply proceed to maintain placing on. I believe each groups tonight did a tremendous job placing on a present. It was enjoyable. I had a good time, I am certain the opposite crew had a good time. I am simply pleased we gained tonight.”
Regardless of the loss, Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who has been within the league since 2018, agreed that the environment made for a particular second in girls’s basketball historical past.
Although many Fever video games this season have been moved to bigger venues due to excessive ticket demand to see Clark, Sunday’s sport couldn’t be held on the United Middle, which was booked with concert events Friday, Saturday (Justin Timberlake) and Sunday (Russ).
Nonetheless, Wintrust Area’s 9,872 seats had been offered out.
“As we speak was a extremely good second to be part of,” Mitchell stated. “The environment, you guys, the media, the followers, your loved ones, the younger children, I believe this was a very good environment for us. I believe that the ladies’s basketball sport as a complete took an enormous soar at this time.”
The Sky additionally snapped the Fever’s four-game successful streak.
Chicago has now gained back-to-back video games following a four-game dropping streak.
“That dropping streak positively spoke lots for us, onerous instances within the locker room, onerous conversations within the locker room,” Reese stated. “However with the ability to take that, everyone regarded within the mirror and discovered what to do to get higher. It does not cease right here, two-game win streak, we gotta maintain going.”
The Related Press and ESPN Stats & Info contributed to this story.