The WNBA said that he is investigating “comments from hate fans” during the victory at Indiana Faver’s house against Sky Chicago on Saturday.
The context of the comments was not entirely clear. They took place as two of the greatest rivals of sport, Caitlin Clark of fever and the angel of heaven Reese, faced on the court.
“WNBA strongly condemns racism, hatred and discrimination in every way: they do not take place in our league or in society,” the league said in a statement on Sunday. “We are aware of the accusations and we are investigating the matter.”
The things between Clark and Reese became physical when Clark committed a foul in the third quarter. The contact earned Clark a flagrant call and Reese, who tried to speak with Clark later, a technical foul.
At a press conference after the game, Reese ruled out. “The referees did well, he goes on,” he said. Sky’s chief coach Tyler Marsh, expressed a similar feeling at the press conference, dismissing the clash as a “basketball game.”
The CEO of Sky, Adam Fox, said the team welcomes the WNBA investigation into the accusation of racism. “We encourage the league to continue taking significant measures to create a safe environment for all WNBA players,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
The counterpart Mel Raines, CEO of The Faver’s Corporate Padre, said the team is cooperating with the investigation.
“We are aware of the accusations of inappropriate behavior of fans,” he said in a statement. “We remain firm in our commitment to provide a safe environment for all WNBA players.”
A Sky representative did not immediately respond to a comment request on Sunday night.
Reese played at Louisiana State University before being recruited in the WNBA. His rivalry with Clark caught national attention in 2023 when he used a family hand gesture for Clark during the victory of the LSU championship over Iowa, where Clark had reached fame as one of the best players in the university game.
The two have continued to cross the routes at a professional level. On Saturday, Clark fever beat Reese’s Sky 93-58. Clark scored 20 points and recorded 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Reese finished the game with 12 points, 17 rebounds and an assistance.
