Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky defeats Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever in front of a star-studded crowd in Chicago

CNN
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Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky defeated Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever 88-87 on Sunday in front of a star-studded crowd at Wintrust Arena.

WNBA Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, rappers Chance the Rapper and Lil Durk and actor Jason Sudeikis were all in Chicago to watch the teams’ third meeting this season.

Clark and the Fever had won the previous two meetings, but it proved to be third time lucky for the Sky as they prevailed in a tense match.

Reese had a dominant outing, finishing with a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds to extend her WNBA rookie record consecutive double-double to eight straight games, becoming just the third player in league history to reach that mark. brand, joining Sylvia Fowles and Candace Parker.

“That’s what I do: I go out and play,” Reese told reporters afterward, according to ESPN. “I do what it takes to win every day.”

Clark also had a strong performance, scoring 17 points and dishing out 13 assists.

Nancy Armor of USA Today described the atmosphere as “electric…the kind of energy this city hasn’t seen for a professional basketball game since the Jordan years.”

In the previous two meetings between the Sky and Fever this WNBA season, the hard-fought nature of the action was the main talking point.

In both games, Clark was on the receiving end of flagrant fouls, first by Chennedy Carter and then by Reese. But Sunday’s match was uneventful.

It started with a tight first half, with seven ties and eight lead changes. However, the Fever built a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter, only for the Sky to come running back and tie the game at 82 with three minutes remaining.

With the score tied at 84 with just under a minute to play, Reese made a layup to give Chicago a two-up lead. The Sky would maintain the lead to claim their sixth victory of the season.

Reese was the leading scorer for Chicago, as she was aided by Carter’s 23 points. For Indiana, Kelsey Mitchell recorded a team-high 24 points, while reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston added 18 points.

Reese, 22, became the first rookie in Sky franchise history with 20 or more points and 15 or more rebounds in a game while Clark made her own history, becoming the first rookie in the WNBA history with 15+ points, 10.+ assists and 5+ three-pointers made in a game.

The rivalry between Clark and Reese has been well-documented since their highly publicized clash in the 2023 NCAA championship game.

“It’s good for the game, good for women’s basketball, but also good for women’s sports,” Reese said of the crowd, according to ESPN. “You see NBA players, rappers, legends who have played in the league for a very long time coming out and showing their support. You know everyone is watching right now.

“I think this is one of the most important times right now, and we just keep on keeping on.” I think both teams did an incredible job tonight putting on a show. It was fun. I had a good time, I’m sure the other team had a good time.

The win means Sky improve to 6-9 on the season while the loss ends Indiana’s four-game winning streak and sees them slip to 7-11.

Chicago sits eighth in the WNBA standings while the Fever sit one spot behind them in ninth.