Caitlin Clark's hard foul on Angel Reese draws blunt reaction from $400,000 Sky star: "Hate is unnecessary and narrative is dangerous"

Modified May 18, 2025 05:41 GMT

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese had a brief dustup in the third quarter of the season-opening game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever. Clark committed a personal foul against Reese before the referees upgraded it to a flagrant foul 1. The Chi Barbie, who wanted to go after the point guard, had to be separated by coaches and players.

After the game, Ariel Atkins, signed to a two-year $400K contract by the Sky in the offseason, reacted to a clip of the incident on Instagram:

“Realistically, hard fouls happen.

“But the hate is unnecessary and the narrative y'all have built is weird to me and dangerous. Just let them hoop.”

Angel Reese's teammate, Ariel Atkins, reacts to the hard foul Caitlin Clark committed against Reese on Saturday. [photo: @houseofhighlights/IG]

The Fever-Sky game on Saturday was Ariel Atkins' first time in the highly anticipated matchups between the two teams. With Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese headlining the showdown, the hard foul and the aftermath quickly became viral. Atkins understood the foul but called out the alleged “hate” and blasted the narrative as "dangerous."

The brief exchange between Clark and Reese was only a momentary hiccup in the Fever’s 93-58 win. Clark finished the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks. Reese had a 12-point and 17-rebound night but struggled against Indiana's tight defense. Atkins debuted for the Sky with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Angel Reese and Chicago Sky get a second shot at Caitlin Clark and Co. in early June

After the skirmish between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark on Saturday, the rematch between the rivals will be even more anticipated. Reese and her teammates will get a chance to avenge the humiliating loss when they host the Indiana Fever on June 7.

Perhaps the home game will help make the Sky better in their next encounter with the Fever. If they still can’t figure out Indiana’s defense, revenge might be out of the equation.

The Fever headed into the halftime break with a 45-32 advantage before dominating the second half 48-26. Chicago’s best output was a 17-point first-quarter performance.

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Reese is 1-4 against Clark in the WNBA. Unless the Sky can solve Indiana’s defensive riddle, Clark’s head-to-head lead will likely grow.

About the author

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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