Hall of Famer Claims Caitlin Clark’s Ball Hogging Allowed Angel Reese’s Dream to Win Heated Clash

Both Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark's respective teams were in form winning a stretch of games before their back-to-back battles.

Hall of Famer Claims Caitlin Clark’s Ball Hogging Allowed Angel Reese’s Dream to Win Heated Clash

Angel Reese broke her losing streak against Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are without a doubt the rivalry the WNBA needs if it is to enjoy the global reach the NBA has enjoyed during the Magic Johnson–Larry Bird era.

Last year, the Indiana Fever superstar’s injuries stopped that rivalry from truly developing. After their season-opener clash, fans were hoping for more.

Then, Reese’s injuries and her eventual exit from the Chicago Sky stopped that rivalry from growing any further. Now that the forward is with the Atlanta Dream, the WNBA did not force the matter any longer.

They chose to position Paige Bueckers, a guard and Clark’s successor, as Rookie of the Year as another rival. But their friendship was evident at the FIBA Regional qualifiers, and that was the end of that idea.

Back to Clark and Reese, and the Fever had the upper hand in their first regular-season clash earlier. Now, the situation is different, as the Maryland native and her teammates were on a roll. That meant the two upcoming clashes were going to be different.

It was, with Reese finally breaking her professional career losing streak against Clark when they held off the Fever to win 108-101. After the game, Swin Cash tried to pinpoint the reason for the home team’s loss.

When the ball stays in her hands a little bit longer, there’s stretches where other players aren’t getting any touches.

Swin Cash said on Sports on Prime

The Hall of Famer gave her opinion after watching how Caitlin Clark struggled with five turnovers and also missed a few easy shots. Cash felt she was trying too hard to get a shot when she could pass earlier to her teammates.

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Angel Reese mocked Caitlin Clark for flopping

Caitlin Clark ended the loss with 26 points, seven assists, and five turnovers, while also registering the worst +/- of any player on the floor.

Caitlin Clark attempting a shot against the Dream
Caitlin Clark attempting a shot against the Dream (Image via Grace Smith/X)

Generally, that gives an idea about her effectiveness, or lack thereof, on the court. Maybe Swin Cash has a point. Had the playmaker given up the ball sooner, her teammates may have had a better chance to score.

That way, the Fever could have completed their comeback in front of their fans. But it seems on sneaker-unveiling night, Clark was losing her mind when things did not go her way.

It did not start that badly, as the Fever guard was slowly getting her way around the Atlanta Dream’s tough defensive schemes. Then, early in the second quarter, Clark tried to set a screen on Angel Reese. When the Dream forward gave a slight nudge to her rival, Clark flailed her arms to suggest she was fouled. An official bought into it and blew the whistle.

Reese was seen smiling in disbelief, and then she proceeded to recreate Caitlin Clark’s flop. Essentially, the former LSU star was mocking her college rival by imitating the flop.

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Caitlin Clark was frustrated with fouls all game long

One of the reasons Caitlin Clark could not impose her will late in the game was not her turnovers or lack of better judgment on the pass. Rather, it was because she could not be as aggressive as she was in previous games.

That is because the 24-year-old was called for a few early fouls, which may have disrupted her rhythm. A few minutes after baiting Angel Reese into a foul, the guard was trying to slow Atlanta Dream counterpart Jordin Canada on a drive.

The veteran tried to lower her shoulder and drive into the paint, but lost her footing and fell on the court. The officials instantly blew the whistle, assessing Clark a foul.

The Fever star was livid, yelling at the Fever bench about how it was not a foul. But once she understood the coaches were not going to ask for a review, she calmed down.

That was her third foul, which means she had half the allowed number of fouls within half-time. It also meant that the pressure was on her to keep it cool, otherwise risk getting tossed from the game early.

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