It took just one game to reignite discussions about the so-called rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. 

During Saturday’s WNBA opener between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, Clark was issued a flagrant foul for pushing Reese, who received a verbal technical foul. The incident was amplified Sunday after the WNBA announced it was investigating alleged racist comments made toward Reese during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The WNBA has leaned in to the rivalry after its two most-watched regular-season games in 2024 were between the Sky and Fever. All five of their matchups this season will be aired nationally. 

However, despite the on-court scuffle, it doesn’t appear the two are embracing being pitted against each other.

No Words

Clark said Reese’s name just one time during both her pre- and post-game press conferences Saturday—and it was to commend her defensive ability.

But when asked about their rivalry, Clark implied it was manufactured. “You guys love it, that’s for sure,” Clark told the media, including Front Office Sports, ahead of Saturday’s game.

She acknowledged rivalries are “great for sport,” and it made sense “geographically” why Indiana and Chicago would be rivals. But she shut down that the Fever treated the Sky any differently from the rest of the league.

Reese has avoided mentioning Clark, as well, and when asked about the incident after the game, she offered only eight words: ‘‘Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on.’’

Reese and Clark have been pitted against each other for years, dating back to the 2023 national championship game between the former’s LSU Tigers and the latter’s Iowa Hawkeyes. Reese mimicked a “you can’t see me” celebration Clark had done in previous rounds.

The two teamed up at the 2024 All-Star Game and, at the time, spoke positively about their first time playing on the same side. “That’s what everybody wants to see,” Reese said in July.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert compared the rivalry between Reese and Clark to the ’80s NBA rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird during an appearance on CNBC in September. However, Engelbert received pushback, including from the WNBPA, for not acknowledging the hate that players have received on social media. 

What Makes a Rivalry?

Rivalries are often fortified through hard-fought battles and traded blows—but this may turn into a one-sided affair.

The Fever’s 35-point win Saturday marked the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history. Indiana is now 4–1 against Chicago since the two stars were drafted last year.

This season, the Fever are expected to challenge for a championship and have the second-best title odds on FanDuel. The Sky are 10th among the 13 WNBA teams.

Financial results from the final season of the NCAA’s Power 5 era are in—and the Pac-12 notched one last small victory on its way out the door.

Despite Pac-12 revenue dipping roughly 6% to $566.6 million in the 2023–24 fiscal year, the conference was still able to top the Big 12, which saw its revenue fall by about 3% to $493.8 million. The conferences ranked fourth and fifth in revenue among the Power 5, which was also the case in the 2022–23 fiscal year.

FOS graphic

With the Big Ten ($928.1 million) surpassing the SEC ($839.7 million) in the race to $1 billion in annual revenue, the ACC finished a distant third place, bringing in $711.4 million last year.

The financial tides of college sports are changing after last summer’s unprecedented number of conference realignment moves, which saw the Big Ten and Big 12 add four teams, the ACC add three, and the SEC add two. The Pac-12 shrank to two teams and is still rebuilding for a relaunch in 2026.

Financial records for the 2024–25 fiscal year, the first season of the Power 4 era, will likely be released in Q2 of 2026 and provide more details on how realignment has impacted each conference’s business.

In March, Clemson, Florida State, and the ACC agreed to a settlement that ended four lawsuits threatening to break that conference apart.