Angel Reese is slapped with a FINE by the WNBA – after teammate’s brutal bodycheck of Caitlin Clark sparked furious online reaction
Angel Reese has been handed the first fine of her WNBA career after a day of controversy surrounding her and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Saturday saw the high-profile pair face off for the first time in the WNBA, taking their college rivalry to the pros.
During the match, Clark was checked and pushed to the ground by Reese’s Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter, while ex-LSU icon Reese was seen jumping off the bench to celebrate the violent action.
Reese has now been fined, but not for her response to the incident on court, despite it causing a lot of controversy online.
Instead, she must pay the WNBA $1,000 for “failing to make herself available to the media for post-game interviews.”
Angel Reese received her first WNBA fine after failing to stop for interviews on Saturday
Caitlin Clark was inexplicably checked to the ground by Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter
Clark fell to the ground, but no Chicago Sky players wanted to talk about the incident
That amount is unlikely to seriously damage Reese’s bank account, as the Sky rookie has already made millions in sponsorship deals during her time in college and now in the WNBA.
However, her salary is still relatively low, with her rookie contract paying out $324,383 over the next four years – an average annual salary of $81,096.
In addition to Reese’s fine, the Sky organization has been fined $5,000 for “failing to ensure that all players adhere to WNBA media policies.”
Carter, the Sky player at the center of the on-field incident, did speak to the media but declined to comment on it and specifically told reporters she would not answer questions about Clark.
Carter pushed Clark to the ground, with television replays appearing to show her shouting “you b***h” at Clark before slamming her rival to the ground.
After the match, Carter insisted she wasn’t making fun of Clark. But the guard declined the invitation to discuss the incident.
“I’m not answering Caitlin Clark’s questions,” Carter said at the podium. ‘I don’t know what she said. I said nothing.’
Reese jumped up and cheered after Carter’s brutal foul on Clark during Indiana-Chicago
It was a tough matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever in Indianapolis
It was not immediately clear how Clark had provoked Carter, if at all, before the Fever star was knocked to the ground.
Clark ultimately had the last laugh – her team held on for a one-point victory and the 71-70 victory was the team’s first home win of the season.
There were 15 seconds left in the third quarter and when time ran out, Clark gave her response to ESPN immediately afterward.
“That’s just not a basketball game, but I have to play through it, that’s what basketball at this level is about,” she said.