CHICAGO — With 43.4 seconds left in the game and the clock stopped for a foul, Angel Reese walked alone to the distant Chicago Sky basket, smiling with a familiar expression on his face and applauding.
Forget Vogue and the Met Gala, this is a proper runway.
Two games after losing to the Hoosiers in Indianapolis, Reese and the Sky are on top, in control, and Reese knows it.
While the rest of the basketball after that moment was, to put it better, a little crazy, Reese and the Sky defeated Caitlin Clark and the Fever 88-87 on Sunday in a loud, packed Wintrust Arena.
The opponents in the third round were Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.
A week before the match, Sky forward Marina Mabrey told us that if this was indeed a rivalry, she wanted the match to be billed as “Sky Fever” rather than “Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese” ”. Mabrey knows the play will be good for the league, but he doesn’t think the two heavily scrutinized rookies need that extra weight.
But let’s face it: Clark and Reese bonded after fighting in college. After Clark won twice in the WNBA portion of the individual series, Reese came into the nationally televised ESPN game and she needed it.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have a lot to do with each other. (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire photo via AP)
On the 40th anniversary of the Ryne Sandberg Game in the North Loop, Chicago hosts the Angel Reese Game in the South Loop.
Reese had 25 points and 16 rebounds in the win, which moved the Sky (6-9) past the Fever (7-11) in the WNBA standings. This was her eighth consecutive double-double, and she also became the first rookie to achieve 25-15 since Aja Wilson in 2018.
A statue of Leno outside Wrigley Field was unveiled at the start of this game, but there’s no better place in Chicago than Wintrust Arena. This is a real, big basketball game. There was no viral drama about technical fouls, no talk of jealousy or blame. These are just two up-and-coming teams, starring rookies with championship aspirations.
The number of spectators at the venue was as high as 9,872, and the seats were packed. Tickets sold for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market and Sky issued 75 media vouchers.
Celebrities abound, but most are local. Jason Sudeikis, a big fan of Caitlin Clark, sat on one end of the court next to Chance the Rapper, while Knicks point guard Jaylen Buon, a native of suburban Chicago, Jalen Brunson sat on the other end of the court next to rapper Lil Durk. We had Durk’s halftime concert and Vic Mensah’s pregame show. Bears president Kevin Warren would likely give a speech if asked. After the game, Reese got a big hug from Hall of Famer Cheryl Swoopes.
“I mean, it’s certainly good for the game,” Reese said. “It’s good for women’s basketball, it’s good for women’s sports. You’re going to see NBA players, rappers, legends who have been in the league for a long time come out and show their support. Everybody’s watching now. I think it’s One of the biggest moments right now. I think both teams had a lot of fun and I’m sure we had a lot of fun tonight. Won.
Don’t doubt Reese, but I’m not so sure the Fever played well after blowing a 15-point lead in the third quarter. They had plenty of chances down the stretch, but the offense seemed out of sync, going 5-of-17 from the field and committing four turnovers in the fourth quarter. Although Clark still finished with 17 points and 13 assists, she almost disappeared late in the game.
Meanwhile, Reese scored 10 points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter to lead the Sky to victory.
“You know, it’s awesome,” said her freshman teammate Camila Cardoso, who was also outstanding with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. “Just her energy. I feel like she brings a lot of energy to all of us. It goes away.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Fever forward NaLyssa Smith scored on Reese and made the “too small” gesture. At the other end, Reese scored on Smith and caused a three-point foul. The two spent the rest of the game yelling at each other, although Reese later was coy about Smith’s disrespectful behavior.
“My teammates had to tell me about it,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t even know she did it. It’s crazy. Me and Narissa, I’ve been competing against each other since I was at Maryland and she was at Baylor, so it’s nothing. Don’t take it personally. I and Narissa are just two great rivals.
Their back and forth added some energy to the final stretch of the game. Definitely. After all this is just entertainment. While Clark knows how to be in the spotlight, Reese’s game has lagged behind. While Clark has made a name for herself as a long-distance shooter and passing wizard (some of her passes on Sunday took me off the baseline), Reese can win games in the paint.
Just before she walked off the court to applause, Reese was called upon to play after a timeout and she made a jump hook outside the penalty area to give the Sky an 86-84 lead.
“I’m a dog,” Reese told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “You can’t teach this.”
Angel Reese: “I’m a dog, you can’t teach this” pic.twitter.com/TRdDgyNPa0
— CJ Fogler Accounts that may or may not be noteworthy (@cjzero) June 23, 2024
But, she later explained, you could teach her how to improve. Movie reviews are helpful.
Lisbon shot less than 40% from the field and less than 75% from the free throw line. His shooting percentages were 8 of 12 and 9 of 11 respectively. While she had “only” three offensive rebounds, below the league-leading average of 4.7, she led everyone with 13 defensive rebounds. She only committed 1 foul in 36 minutes.
“I finally became productive tonight,” she said. “I finally stayed out of foul trouble. I got some rebounds. I mean, I turned the ball over three times, but I feel like I’m getting better. I’m gaining confidence. I watched T-Spoon ( Coach Teresa Weatherspoon. I watched film with David (Simon, player development coach) and he showed me every shot I missed and every shot I missed around the rim. That’s why I tried to take my time today and finish around the rim. My grades are getting better and my efficiency is getting better, so I’m going to continue to try to improve every game.
It wasn’t just her coach who gave her the advice to slow down the ball.
“(Atlanta Dream forward) Tina Charles told me I had enough time at the basket and that’s how I spent it today,” Reese said.
time. Reese and Clark both have a lot of that. They go straight from the NCAA Tournament into the WNBA season, which seems to be the big news cycle since March. But every time someone starts getting mad at something Reese said, I like to remind them that she’s only 22 years old. So does Clark, who faces unrealistic expectations and a never-ending culture war beyond her control.
“I’m a perfectionist,” Reese said. “So it’s kind of hard. I’m really hard on myself and I don’t try to be graceful, but I’m always trying to be graceful. My teammates and coaches are doing a great job and they’re texting me and telling me, ‘ You’re doing great. You’re doing great. I do have a lot to do and (them) being able to reassure me is what I need.
When it comes to their competition, we will of course judge them on wins and losses.
Reese won a national title in 2023 and Clark got his revenge this spring, albeit in the Elite Eight. Clark finished in the WNBA’s top two spots and Reese finished third. They will play again in Chicago in late August, potentially competing for a playoff spot.
I predict Chicago and the WNBA will once again have “Sky Fever.”
(Top photo: Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
