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On Saturday, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese<\/a> went toe-to-toe in their first game against each other this year. The two WNBA stars have been plagued by rumors of a rivalry since their college teams faced off in 2023, and over the weekend, another encounter reignited the chatter. With minutes left in the third quarter, Clark received a flagrant foul after slapping Reese\u2019s arm, knocking the ball away and Reese to the ground. In clips of the incident, an upset-looking Reese was seen getting up from the floor and briefly confronting Clark, before Clark\u2019s teammate Aliyah Boston got between the two athletes.<\/p>\n Caitlin Clark received a flagrant foul on this play. <\/p>\n Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese received offsetting technical fouls. pic.twitter.com\/jzQYEW92TW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n After the game, both players downplayed the moment. Clark told reporters she \u201cwasn\u2019t trying to do anything malicious,\u201d adding that \u201cthat\u2019s not the type of player I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s not make it something that it\u2019s not,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Reese also shot down the notion that there was anything personal about the incident, telling press, \u201cBasketball play. Refs got it right. Move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel Reese: \u201cBasketball play. Refs got it right. Move on.\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/ATI8hmK9Bf<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ZFLhA58WWZ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 hank \ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf7 (@Brian_Haenchen) May 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The two players\u2019 rumored rivalry<\/a> started in 2023: When Reese\u2019s LSU Tigers beat Clark\u2019s Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA women\u2019s finals, Reese taunted Clark with a \u201cyou can\u2019t see me\u201d gesture, which had become a go-to move of Clark\u2019s during games. The moment quickly blew up with fans calling Reese, who is Black, \u201cclassless\u201d \u2014 despite Clark, who is white, having done the same thing.<\/p>\n Reese pointed out<\/a> the blatant double standard following the game, saying she was being criticized simply for being herself. \u201cI don\u2019t fit the box that y\u2019all want me to be in. I\u2019m too hood. I\u2019m too ghetto. Y\u2019all told me that all year. When other people do it, y\u2019all don\u2019t say nothing,\u201d she said. Since then, she\u2019s also waved away rumors of tension \u2014 after she fouled Clark during a match last year, Reese denied<\/a> it was anything personal, calling it simply \u201ca basketball play.\u201d Clark backed up her opponent, saying the foul was \u201cjust part of basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n In an interview with Time<\/a> last year, Clark also denied that there\u2019s any bad blood<\/a>, saying she and Reese are \u201cnot best friends, by any means, but we\u2019re very respectful of one another.\u201d She also said the \u201cyou can\u2019t see me\u201d gesture \u201cdidn\u2019t bother\u201d her and called the controversy about it \u201cfabricated and made up.\u201d Sounds like we can all move on from this foul, then?<\/p>\n Stay in touch.<\/p>\n Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n