The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky by a final score of 93-58 on Saturday. A conflict occurred during the game following a hard foul from Caitlin Clark on Angel Reese, however. The moment led to Reese coming after Clark while getting restrained by teammates. Allegations later surfaced that fans in the Fever arena implemented inappropriate behavior after the incident. Some allegations even suggested that fans made racist remarks.
The WNBA issued a statement on the matter Sunday, via WNBA Communications.
"The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination -- they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter."
Reese and Clark have both downplayed their rivalry. However, Saturday's game only fueled the rivalry narrative. Clark was ultimately assessed a flagrant foul for the play. Meanwhile, Angel Reese and Fever forward Aliyah Boston received offsetting technical fouls.
The rivalry itself between Clark and Reese may be good for ratings, but inappropriate fan behavior is unquestionably an issue. The allegations are serious and the league will look closely into the situation.
The Fever also released a statement amid the allegations.
"We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday's game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation. We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players," Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said.
The Fever, in addition to the WNBA, will look into the situation and study the allegations.
It is worth mentioning that after the game both Reese and Clark called the foul a "basketball play" and are both seemingly prepared to move on from the incident. They will both have a difficult time downplaying the rivalry following what occurred on Saturday, though.
Removing the fans and other players from the equation for a second, there is no shortage of history between Clark and Reese. They have consistently played against one another. In college, Reese's LSU Tigers defeated Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes for a national championship. The next season, Clark's Hawkeyes took care of business against Reese's Tigers.
In the WNBA, the Fever and Sky have had plenty of head-to-head matchups over the past year-plus with Clark and Reese on their rosters. Clark and Reese were even teammates during the WNBA All-Star Game, and they seemed to be fine with one another.
Saturday's moment felt like something that had been brewing for a while between the players. The harsh reality of the situation is that fans acting inappropriately toward Reese is extremely unfortunate. Rivalries are good for sports, but fans need to respect the players and avoid racism and hate.