Angel Reese has received the first fine of her WNBA career following a day of controversy involving her and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Saturday marked the first professional matchup between the two, reigniting their college rivalry.
During the game, Clark was bodychecked and knocked to the ground by Reese’s Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter, with former LSU star Reese seen jumping off the bench to celebrate the incident.
Reese has now been fined, though not for her reaction to the on-court altercation, despite the online uproar it caused.
Instead, she will have to pay the WNBA $1,000 for failing to make herself available to the media for interviews after the game.
Angel Reese received her first WNBA fine for skipping interviews on Saturday.
Clark fell to the ground, but no Chicago Sky players were willing to discuss the incident
That fine is unlikely to significantly impact Reese’s finances, as the Sky rookie has secured millions in sponsorship deals during her college years and now in the WNBA.
However, her salary remains relatively modest, with her rookie contract paying $324,383 over four years, averaging an annual salary of $81,096.
In addition to Reese’s fine, the Sky organization has been fined $5,000 for failing to ensure all players comply with WNBA media policies.
Carter, the Sky player involved in the on-court incident, did speak to the media but refused to comment on the altercation, explicitly stating she would not answer any questions about Clark.
Carter shoved Clark to the ground, and television replays appeared to show her yelling “you b***h” at Clark before the shove.
Reese jumped up and cheered after Carter’s brutal foul on Clark during the Indiana-Chicago game.
After the game, Carter insisted she did not trash talk Clark but declined to discuss the incident.
“I ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions,” Carter said at the podium. “I don’t know what she said. I didn’t say anything.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if or how Clark had provoked Carter before the Fever star was knocked to the ground.
Clark had the last laugh as her team held on for a one-point win, securing a 71-70 victory and their first home win of the season.
With 15 seconds left in the third quarter, Clark gave her reaction to ESPN immediately after the game.
“That’s just not a basketball play, but I’ve got to play through it. That’s what basketball is about at this level,” she said.
