“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ain’t competing with Larry Bird!” Angel Reese is not rival to Caitlin Clark, claims Stephen A. Smith

Angel Reese was given a flagrant 1 foul for striking Caitlin Clark on the head.

“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ain’t competing with Larry Bird!” Angel Reese is not rival to Caitlin Clark, claims Stephen A. Smith

Caitlin Clark, Stephen A. Smith and Angel Reese

Stephen A. Smith has weighed in on the recent game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, as he doesn’t see the Reese-Clark rivalry as comparable to the legendary Larry Bird–Magic Johnson rivalry, citing their different playing styles. He believes a more fitting rivalry for Clark would be with the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, as their games are more similar.

Smith also commented on the game as Angel Reese was given a flagrant 1 foul for striking Caitlin Clark on the head. While Smith believes the call was correct, he thinks the referees are keeping a close eye on Reese due to her reaction to a previous foul on Caitlin Clark.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ain't competing with Larry Bird as much as Magic Johnson was going up against Larry Bird. If [Sabrina] Ionescu and Caitlin Clark were going at one another, now that's a rivalry that I'm willing to entertain because their games are similar.
Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN’s First Take

Clark’s Indiana Fever won the game, improving their record to 2-0 against the Chicago Sky this season. The rookie star finished with 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while Reese had 11 points and 13 rebounds but committed five fouls.

The game was physical, with several hard fouls on Clark, but Smith and co-host Andraya Carter believe the media has overemphasized the fouls. Carter pointed out that Las Vegas Aces star A’Ja Wilson often gets hit in the head without it being a major story.

Caitlin Clark leads Fever to victory over Sky, extends rivalry with Angel Reese

Caitlin Clark led the Indiana Fever to a 91-83 win over the Chicago Sky, outperforming her rival Angel Reese on Sunday. The Fever improved to 5-10, while the Sky fell to 4-9.

The Fever’s recent success can be attributed to a more favorable schedule after a tough start to the season. They had played the New York Liberty three times and the Las Vegas Aces on a back-to-back. With more rest and an easier schedule, the Fever are showing improvement, with NaLyssa Smith, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell also scoring in double figures.

The win marks a turning point for the Fever, who will look to build on their momentum. They host the Washington Mystics next before embarking on a five-game road trip, with winnable games against the Atlanta Dream and Sky.

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