CHICAGO — With 43.4 seconds left and the clock stopped after a foul, Angel Reese walked by herself towards the faraway Chicago Sky basket, smiling and clapping with that acquainted look on her face.
Overlook Vogue and the Met Gala, this was a correct runway.
After two losses to the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis, Reese and the Sky have been within the lead, in management, and Reese knew it.
Whereas the remaining basketball after that second was, to place it properly, a little bit frenzied, Reese and the Sky held on for an 88-87 victory over Caitlin Clark and the Fever on Sunday at a raucous, packed Wintrust Enviornment.
Spherical 3 goes to Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.
Throughout the week main as much as the sport, Sky ahead Marina Mabrey instructed just a few of us that if this actually have been a rivalry, she hoped it could be billed as “Sky-Fever” and never “Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese.” Mabrey knew the drama was good for the league however didn’t assume the 2 extremely scrutinized rookies wanted that further weight.
However let’s be actual: Clark and Reese are inexorably linked after their school battles. After two Clark wins within the WNBA portion of this private collection, it was Reese who got here out on high in a nationally televised ESPN recreation, and she or he wanted it.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are inexorably linked. (Melissa Tamez / Icon Sportswire by way of Related Press)
On the fortieth anniversary of the Ryne Sandberg Recreation on the North Aspect, Chicago acquired the Angel Reese Recreation within the South Loop.
Within the win, which moved the Sky (6-9) simply previous the Fever (7-11) within the WNBA standings, Reese had 25 factors and 16 rebounds. It was her eighth consecutive double-double, and she or he grew to become the primary rookie to have a 25-15 line since A’ja Wilson in 2018.
Ryno’s statue exterior of Wrigley Area was unveiled on the similar time this recreation tipped off, however there was no higher place to be in Chicago apart from Wintrust Enviornment. This was a real-deal, big-time basketball recreation. There was no viral drama about technical fouls, no talks of jealousy or chips on shoulders. It was simply two up-and-coming groups starring rookies with championship desires.
It was a sellout crowd of 9,872. Tickets have been going for a whole lot of {dollars} on the secondary market and the Sky gave out 75 media credentials.
Celebrities abounded, although most have been of the native selection. Caitlin Clark super-fan Jason Sudeikis sat subsequent to Likelihood the Rapper on one finish of the court docket, whereas Knicks level guard and suburban Chicago native Jalen Brunson was close to rapper Lil Durk on the opposite. We had a halftime live performance from Durk and a pregame set from Vic Mensa. Bears president Kevin Warren most likely would’ve given a speech if anybody had requested. Reese acquired an enormous hug from Corridor of Famer Sheryl Swoopes after the sport.
“I imply, in fact it’s good for the sport,” Reese mentioned. “Good for girls’s basketball, but additionally good for girls’s sports activities. You see NBA gamers, rappers, legends that performed within the league for very long time, come out and stand and present assist. All people’s watching proper now. I believe this is likely one of the most essential instances proper now. We simply proceed to maintain placing on. I believe each groups did an incredible job placing on a present. And it was enjoyable. I had a good time. I’m positive the opposite crew had a good time. So I’m simply joyful we received tonight.”
To not doubt Reese, however I’m not so positive the Fever had a good time after blowing a 15-point lead within the third quarter. That they had loads of possibilities down the stretch however appeared out of sync of their offense, capturing 5-of-17 from the sector and committing 4 turnovers within the fourth. Although she nonetheless completed with 17 factors and 13 assists, Clark was nearly invisible late within the recreation.
In the meantime, Reese was spurring the Sky to the win with 10 factors and 5 rebounds within the fourth.
“It was superb, you realize,” mentioned her rookie teammate Kamilla Cardoso, who was fairly superb herself with 16 factors and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. “Simply her vitality. I really feel like she brings a number of vitality for all of us. It rubs off.”
There was a second halfway via the fourth when Fever ahead NaLyssa Smith scored on Reese and gave the “too small” gesture. On the opposite finish, Reese scored on Smith and drew the foul for a three-point play. The 2 barked one another for the remainder of the sport, although Reese would later play coy about Smith’s disrespect.
“My teammates needed to inform me about that,” she mentioned with amusing. “I didn’t even know she did that. That’s loopy. Me and NaLyssa, I’ve been competing in opposition to one another since I used to be at Maryland and she or he was at Baylor, so it’s nothing. No arduous emotions. Me and Nalyssa simply two nice rivals.”
Their back-and-forth gave the tip of the sport a little bit extra juice. That’s for positive. That is simply leisure, in any case. And whereas Clark is aware of how one can command the highlight, Reese’s recreation is down within the blocks. Whereas Clark has made her fame and fortune as a long-range shooter and a passing whiz (a few of her passes Sunday lifted me out of my baseline seat), Reese can win a recreation within the paint.
Simply earlier than she walked down the court docket clapping, Reese acquired a play referred to as for her out of a timeout and she or he hit a leap hook simply exterior the restricted space to place the Sky up 86-84.
“I’m a canine,” Reese instructed ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “You possibly can’t train that.”
Angel Reese: “I am a canine, you may’t train that” pic.twitter.com/TRdDgyNPa0
— CJ Fogler account could or is probably not notable (@cjzero) June 23, 2024
However, she later elaborated, you may train her how one can enhance. Movie evaluate helps.
Reese, who got here into the sport capturing beneath 40 p.c from the sector and 75 p.c from the free-throw line, went 8-of-12 and 9-of-11, respectively. Whereas she had “solely” three offensive rebounds, beneath her league-leading common of 4.7, she led everybody with 13 defensive rebounds. She had just one private foul in 36 minutes.
“I used to be environment friendly tonight, lastly,” she mentioned. “I didn’t get in foul hassle, lastly. I acquired some rebounds. I imply, I turned the ball over 3 times however I really feel like I’m simply getting higher. I’m gaining confidence. I’ve watched movie with T-Spoon (coach Teresa Weatherspoon). I’ve watched movie with David (Simon, the participant growth coach). He confirmed me each shot that I’ve missed, each shot that I’ve missed across the basket. That’s why I attempted to take my time as we speak, end across the basket. I’m getting and-1s and I’m being extra environment friendly, so I simply proceed to attempt to develop each recreation.”
It wasn’t simply her coaches who gave her the recommendation of slowing herself down with the ball.
“(Atlanta Dream ahead) Tina Charles instructed me I acquired as a lot time as I want across the basket, and I that’s what I took as we speak,” Reese mentioned.
Time. It’s one thing that each Reese and Clark have loads of. They went proper from the NCAA Match into the WNBA season, and it looks as if it’s been one large information cycle since March. However each time somebody begins going off on one thing Reese says, I wish to remind them that she’s simply 22 years previous. The identical with Clark, who offers with unreal expectations and a endless tradition conflict exterior of her management.
“I’m a perfectionist,” Reese mentioned. “So it’s type of arduous. I’m actually arduous on myself, and I don’t attempt to get myself grace, however I’ve been making an attempt to get myself grace. My teammates and our coaches have finished an ideal job texting me and telling me, like, ‘You’re doing nice. You’re high-quality. You’re doing a very good job.’ I do have lots on my plate. I do have lots occurring, and (they) simply having the ability to reassure me is one thing I want.”
With regards to their rivalry, we’ll decide them, in fact, on wins and losses.
Reese received the nationwide title in 2023 and Clark acquired her revenge, albeit within the Elite Eight, this spring. Clark acquired the primary two within the WNBA and Reese took the third. They’ll play once more on the finish of August in Chicago with a attainable playoff spot on the road.
I’m predicting that Chicago and the WNBA will as soon as once more have Sky Fever.
(Prime picture: Quinn Harris / Getty Photos)
