The Atlanta Dream made a statement Thursday night, taking down the Indiana Fever 108-101 on the road. Angel Reese led the charge with 21 points and 11 rebounds, but it was a brief moment during the game that had everyone talking.
After being called for a foul on Caitlin Clark, Reese made a gesture to the officials that suggested her opponent was flopping. The clip quickly went viral, with fans calling out Reese for what they saw as a disrespectful jab.
“That’s not going to go well for Angel,” one fan wrote. “She’ll be embarrassed. She has no self reflection. Can’t wait to see her be fooled soon!”
“And she wonders why she gets so much hate,” another added.
This isn't the first time these two have gone at it. The rivalry dates back to the 2023 NCAA championship game, when Reese taunted Clark with the “you can’t see me” gesture. Clark got her revenge in 2024 with a 41-point performance in the Elite Eight.
Reese has downplayed the personal nature of the feud. “I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” she said in March 2024. “Once we get out between those lines, if I see you walking down the street, it’s like, ‘Hey, girl, what’s up? Let’s hang out.’ I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It’s just a super-competitive game. Once I get between those lines, there’s no friends. I’m going to talk trash to you. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it.”
Thursday’s win was a team effort, with Reese acknowledging the need to stay focused. “We kind of talked a little bit at halftime about not getting comfortable,” she said. “I think we kind of stayed together and continued to push. We knew they were going to go on a run, especially with their crowd. When their crowd gets into it, I think they feel that energy, and they did a great job with that.”
The drama adds another layer to a rivalry that has captivated the WNBA. It also echoes recent sneaker-related tension between the two. Fans are already buzzing about Saturday’s rematch, which could be another classic.
With the Dream hosting the Fever at 1 p.m., all eyes will be on Reese and Clark. Will the mocking gesture fuel Clark’s fire, or will Reese back it up with another big performance? Either way, the WNBA is the real winner.
